I know we hear all the time how important self care is. You see the women on your Instagram feed and they look so happy. Maybe it’s because they’re more blessed and less stressed, or maybe it’s because they’re practicing self care on the regular. It’s hard to make time to put yourself first, whether it’s because you have a family to chase around, a job to put first, or are stuck in the middle of a busy life. Maybe you’ve just never made it a priority until now. But these days- self care is important and it’s time to start setting aside time for it.

One of the things I struggled with about self care is, what do I even do for “self care”? I shower everyday. I read. I do all that stuff. **News Flash** There are SO many options for you! Let’s take some time to walk through a few options:

• Journaling- This year, I’m making journaling a priority for my self care. I’m using my journal to practice gratitude. This last year I really slipped on being grateful for the little things. All I continued to think was Why are all these bad things happening to me?? Instead of, I have a home. I have plenty of food. I have family and friends who love me. I didn’t lose my job during the pandemic. I am healthy. I am strong. We can also use our journals to manifest our future hopes, but we’ll talk more about that another time.
• Baths- I know this is such a common one, but it’s so important I can’t leave it out. You can have your plain hot water soak or you can make it a bit more fancy with bubble bath, epsom salts, and a face masks. Baths are meant to reduce tension, lower blood sugar, and promote mental peace. Pair the bath with your favorite glass of wine, some music, a book, or even just peace and quiet with some candles. This is one of my favorite ways to take some time to myself to manifest my future.
• Organizing your home- This one may seem more like a cleaning chore, but I ensure that I’m only doing a small enough section to not get stressed out. It helps me feel in control when there’s less mess in my home. It’s always nice to be able to open up the door to my office and see a clean space, a cleared off cozy chair, and a place for my pups to lay down that’s not right on top of my feet.
• Meditation- This was one of the hardest parts of self care that I’ve added. I struggle to sit down and pay attention to my thoughts, but when I started adding meditation to when I walked or ran, I was able to really center myself on what I was meditating about. I highly recommend learning how to meditate for those days where anxiety fills your head, so you can learn to refocus yourself on the present.
• Get moving- It’s hard for me to make time for myself just to go work out. To remedy that situation, my husband and I invested in a secondhand treadmill. I am able to simply walk down into my basement rather than getting all dressed up to go to the gym, or bundling up to go run outside. I double this time with listening to meditation programs or various podcasts.

I know it can make us feel guilty to set time aside for ourselves, but as the saying goes- “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Balancing life anxieties, bringing focus into the positive things in life, and being present will all come in time with practicing self care. You can do this! Let me know below what your favorite methods of self care are!