The ultimate guide to creating your self-care routine

Do you have a self-care routine? 

You might be probably asking yourself, “Is it even important considering the busy schedule I have, assignments, work, I’m just too busy!”

I just want to remind you one thing today, self-care is extremely important.

 Repeat after me, “ I need to take care of myself.”

Taking care of yourself is the first step to living your best life because you can attend to your needs and make you happy. 

Think of it, when we are around our loved ones or someone we love we always want to take care of them and make sure that they are always doing ok.

That is the same thing you should be doing for yourself because why not? They say that you can’t pour water out of an empty cup so give the same love to yourself that you give to others.

Before we get into the best part of this article, I need to make sure you know what self-care is if it’s still not clear.

What is self-care?

There are very many definitions of self-care because it means different things to different people. 

What self-care is to me might not be the same to you. 

Self-care is the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s health. It is taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy and go around your daily activities better. Self-care is a set of activities that bring happiness and inner joy to you.

Self-care is not a one-time experience. It is  ongoing and you can never reach a point where you can say “That’s enough taking care of myself for this year, let’s wrap it up!”

Self-care is also not time-consuming and you don’t have to take out a huge amount of time from your schedule.

Again repeat after me, “ I need to take care of myself.”

Why is self-care important?

You need to take care of yourself and spend time with yourself so that you can be more self-aware of your body and emotions. For example, you only get to know someone better as you spend more time with them. You can easily know what their likes and dislikes are, when they are happy, and when something is bothering them.

You need to channel the same into yourself.

Self-care will help in;

• Managing and coping with stress
• Improve your wellbeing
• Help to maintain healthy relationships
• Increase happiness
• Help to manage anxiety
• Boost your immune system
• Makes you more productive
• Increases positive thinking
• Feeling calm and relaxed
• We can interact with others better

Examples of self-care practices

Sometimes we think that self-care is only for celebrities and the rich.

We imagine it as being too expensive or too time-consuming. 

‘I need to get that assignment done or submit that presentation to my boss’ even before spending a few minutes with yourself.

We often neglect ourselves by not prioritizing taking care of ourselves and consuming ourselves with the many worries and hustles of life.

Self-care does not have to be an extravagant million-dollar spa day or facial {which sounds amazing} but the idea here is not to break your bank account rather the little simple things you can do to stay in tune with your inner and true self.

Here are some simple yet practical self-care ideas to spark your interest

• Play with your pet
• Go on a walk
• Start reading the book you have meaning to
• Make a cup of your favorite tea
• Sketch something fun
• Listen to your favorite songs
• Declutter
• Prepare your favorite meal
• Take a long bath
• Take a nap
• Say some affirmations
• Do a face mask
• Wash your hair
• Stretch
• Workout
• Listen to a podcast
• Take yourself on a date
• Light your favorite candle
• Deep breathing
• Meditation
• Journal

The list is endless and although some of the activities are what we already do daily, the key point is to be calm and present while doing them.

Have a conversation with yourself, check-in with yourself, and be very present in the moment. 

Creating your self-care routine

Let’s go through how you can start making your self-care ritual that is specifically suited to fit into your life and meet your needs.

There are a few things that you need to first consider so that you can customize your self-care routine. And remember that it does not need to be a 10-hour extensive list of things that you need to do. 

It’s the 5 to 10 minutes you set in a day to prioritize yourself that make a difference in the long run.

A list of things that you enjoy doing

Make a list of things that make you happy. This is about you and no one else.

Knowing your schedule

Plan out your days and know what tasks you have at what time. This will help you plan out your activities and set a specific time to take care of yourself. Remember, even 5 minutes set aside to do something simple such as have a conversation with yourself like in an interview is very important.

Knowing your budget

Sometimes you want to go for a pamper day or a hike or take up a painting class. Working within your budget is very important to avoid spiraling down the bottomless pit of debt.

Work with what you have

Sometimes we just don’t have the resources to do the things we wish to do like the money to go out etc. The most important thing is working with what is available and making the most out of it. Get creative. Remember that it is the simple daily things that we often overlook that will make a difference.

Create a routine 

It’s now time to create and write down a routine with the list of activities you enjoy. 

Stick to the routine

Every day has its challenges and sometimes things do not go as planned. 

Assess yourself after some time

Are you happier? Are you doing better than before?

It is very important to assess your progress.