How to create a self-care routine for your mind, body, and soul
Gather round girls it’s time for us to chat!
Self-care is a term that we hear thrown around often, leading to some variation of a face mask, glass of Pinot noir, and massage combo. Typically covers the more surface-level things that deal with our exterior. Trust me, I do think this is important! I am a beauty lover with a penchant for nails, massages, the whole nine! These things are a priority to me. However, these aren’t things that we can use every single day as solutions to our more deeply rooted issues. Sometimes our beauty treatments are just bandages for the situations in our lives that require much deeper commitment.
As we get older and busier, it becomes straightforward to take the backseat and go into autopilot mode. We tend to just do things for the sake of getting them done. Personally, when things have gotten busy for me at work or school (especially while working from home), I would go back and forth between the bed and mindlessly completing tasks.
If this sounds like you, I can confirm that establishing a solid self-care practice is a phenomenal way to break up this Monotony. It’s the perfect way to check in with yourself, figure out what you truly need for you to operate at the highest level. Taking the time to evaluate your body and how it feels can reveal various things like creating a change in your diet or getting more rest. Having this routine allows you to take a step back and fill in those gaps that your well-being requires.
Whenever I’m feeling burnt out, like I’m running on empty or autopilot mode, I know it’s because I’m not making time for self-care. When I’m in an established routine, exercising, getting enough rest, reading, and getting my nutrients, I feel so much more alive.
Obviously, like everything else that we discuss here at The Chroma Network, taking care of ourselves in a meaningful way is a journey. Making time for these activities each day will require adequate time and effort. But once we accomplish this level of dedication, we will have so much more to give to the people around us and the tasks that require our attention.
Table of Contents
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#1. Keep it Simple
When establishing a self-care routine, we must start small and keep things simple. Avoid trying to implement 2000 different things at once just because you see someone else doing it, and it works for them. We don’t see the picture in full of how they manage their time or how much help they have from other sources.
Do not fall into the social media frenzy that requires you to:
- wake up at 4:00 AM
- exercise at 4:15 AM
- Do yoga for 60 minutes at 5:00 AM
- take a cold shower, drink a gallon of water, and save the world all before you start work at nine
There is absolutely no need.
Taking on so much, especially when you haven’t solidified a routine, makes your mornings and self-care as a whole feel very overwhelming and burdensome.
#2. Don’t do things that don’t make you feel good
This may seem very counterintuitive and is potentially something that I may change my mind on in the future. Still, for right now, my focus is on doing what makes me feel good, mind, body, and soul.
If you engage in an activity and you hate it each time, why would you continue to show up for it? It doesn’t matter what works for other people. Focus on what works for you! Give yourself the room to try new things, but don’t feel the pressure to stick to them if you don’t find them fulfilling! It doesn’t make you a quitter. It actually makes you wise for not overcomplicating the entire process, especially in the beginning stages!
#3. Set it And forget it
Choose a time each day that you’ll commit to your self-care activity. Block of time that it’s just for you and stick to it. And the more you commit to showing up at this time, the easier it is to form a habit.
Self-care for the mind
It is extremely mportant that you find ways to continue to learn new things. One trait that the woman I admire all share is their brilliance. They either have expert-level knowledge in a specific area or are incredibly worldly and cultured. I think the best way to accomplish this is through the content we consume.
Activities to try:
- reading a new book
- listening to a podcast
- learning a new skill
- watching a movie or documentary on a topic that you’re unfamiliar with
Self-care for the body
A lot of the stress and sometimes trauma that we experience in life gets stored in our bodies. It can affect us not only mentally but physically as well. So again, when caring for your body is essential to find movement that feels good for you physically. You’ll know you found the proper outlet when exercise feels refreshing and rejuvenating.
Activities to try:
- Stretching
- Yoga
- Dancing
- Biking
- Pilates
- Weight-lifting
- Walking
- Massages
- Facials
Self-Care for the Soul
As women committed to growth, we all lead such busy lives. It’s crucial to get in touch with your emotions and create an outlet for them. When you engage in self-care for the soul, make sure you minimize the expectations you have for results and focus on growth and healing.
Activities to try:
- Brain dumping
- prompted journaling
- Gratitude Journaling
- Read a Novel
- Listen to Affirmations
- Binge-watch a feel-good show or movie
I hope that you found this post helpful. Please let me know which soft care activities are most excited to implement and some of your favorites in the comments below! Also, don’t forget to share this message with a friend who may need it or using one of the buttons below.
