When it comes to self-care, it often feels like we never have time for it. The reality is that a few small changes in your everyday routine can help you sneak in that self-care you desperately need! If you are looking for daily habits that you can incorporate to practice self-care every day, here are ten ways to practice self-care daily. These are all pretty quick, and they will leave you feeling more relaxed than taking a bunch of bubble baths.
Make sure you are getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night
One of the best ways you can practice self-care is by making sure you are getting plenty of sleep each night. You’d be shocked at how much better you’ll feel after just a night of good sleep. I highly recommend if possible to put your phone down at least an hour before bed. I used to have a hard time “shutting off” my brain before bed and I’ve noticed a huge change in how I sleep when I read before bed VS being on my phone.
Learn the art of saying no
Saying no might not sound like self-care, but it can be! If you are always finding ways to help others, you forget to take time to help yourself. The next time something comes up that you are dreading, say no instead. Don’t feel bad for saying no, sometimes it just needs to be said. We often tend to push ourselves and wear ourselves out trying to help and please others.
Start a gratitude journal
Spend some time at the end of the day with a gratitude journal. Write down the things you are grateful for. This is a great way to end your day on a high note. This is also great if you’ve been feeling like you don’t have a lot to look forward to in your day. I use one I found on Amazon and I love it! I write down 3 things I’m thankful for each morning and night. It helps put things into prospective and realize even when we have bad days, we still have so much to be thankful for.
Click HERE for my journal, its $6.99 and on Amazon Prime!
Get yourself organized
The best thing you can do for yourself is to get organized! I learned something from my Dad: “If you put something away when it needs to be put away, you’ll spend less time cleaning up” – truth. Never appreciated this comment until I was older. This will ensure you never lose your stuff, and you may even need to clean your house a little less.
I also love a good planner! I use my phone a lot but also use my paper planner to keep me focused and to remind myself of my monthly goals.
Here are some of my favorite planners:
Make exercise part of your daily routine
I read this article my husband sent me and it’s changed my outlook on waking up early and taking the morning for myself. Since having a baby I haven’t stepped foot back into the gym. I told myself I didn’t have enough time with my business, being a new mom, wife and friend. At the end of the day I was making an excuse. I started today – woke up at 8am, went to the gym! My goal is to start waking up at 6am for the gym, showering and hitting my inbox & all done before 9am! Also, Find a workout class you enjoy or go for a walk each day. This will make exercise more fun, and it’s good for you. Gets the blood flowing and clears my mind! I will also be starting orange theory again once my body is used to me hitting the gym!
Schedule time for reading
If you only have 15 minutes a day to read, savor it! Learning something new and reading a good book can be so relaxing. I personally love to read. my favorite books to dive into are thriller/mystery. When I was pregnant I was reading a new book every 1-2 weeks. This is also something I added to my daily schedule for myself and I’m glad I did. I know it’s hard to stop sometimes and really focus on ourselves but Im telling you… It’s needed and well deserved.
Take a break from your devices
Spend a little time each day without your devices. This is something that is probably hard for most of us. To be honest, everything we really need daily is on our phones. Email, texts, social media and more! This will help reset your brain and help you relax. You can even use this as your reading time!
Spend a little time meditating
Meditation is a great way to calm yourself down when you’re feeling stressed. Take a moment to do some breathing exercises and relax a bit. My best friend V recently started to do this and it’s something I want to not only try to practice but learn more about.
Do something for yourself
When was the last time you did something just because you wanted to? Make the time to do a little something for yourself! This doesn’t have to be expensive and could even be as small as just taking a 15 minute bubble bath in peace and quiet! *Lock the door 😉 haha
Spend a little time outdoors
When you have some free time, head outside, even when it’s cold. The vitamin D from the sun is good for you and will keep you from getting stir crazy at home. I know for me this helped a lot while my first two months being postpartum – just getting out of the house felt amazing. Nothing like the fresh air – we try to do family walks including the dogs which is nice to spend some time together as well!
No matter how busy you are, these ten tips will help you practice self-care every single day! Sometimes self-care can be small, like making time for something you love, or it can be something to improve your health and overall well-being. I hope you found something to give you the extra push today to do something to better yourself!
xx, Tonya Michelle
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