Self-care is just another chore

“It feels like one more thing I HAVE to do and if I don’t then it’s another thing I’m failing at.” 

I’ve been hearing this sentiment a lot lately when talking to my clients about self-care.

We all know how important it is to take time everyday to practice some kind of self-care; yet many of us are now under the impression that if we are not getting a weekly massage, doing a mask or going to yoga four times a week we are failing and therefore shouldn’t bother.

Now, don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against yoga, massages or masks. But, for many, these feel like unrealistic expectations that are keeping them away from looking at self-care for what it really is: “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve our health.” Self-care should not feel overwhelming, unattainable or like a chore.

Rather than getting wrapped up in what it “should” look like; I encourage you to go back to basics and focus on the small things that you can do everyday which make you feel amazing and don’t require a lot of time.

Ask yourself, are you eating three healthy meals a day? Are you sleeping enough? Are you giving yourself some time to do nothing after a stressful day? Are you moving your body regularly?
 
Then make a plan to make sure you are doing one of these things daily. It can be as simple as starting to carry a water bottle with you so you drink enough water, blocking out a 10 minute break to go to the coffee shop and grab some tea, going for a walk around your neighborhood after work so you get some movement or turning your phone off one hour before bed so you can get restful sleep. Ultimately, it’s the micro changes and routines that make us feel better.
 
To get you to start thinking about your own self care, here's a short exercise I do with my 1:1 clients that I'd love to share with you.

Grab a pen and paper and take five minutes to write a list of the small things you can do everyday that make you feel good. Then, pick one of the things from the list and commit to doing it for the next two weeks. Write down what you picked in a separate sheet of paper and put in a place where you can see daily.  After two weeks notice if/how focusing on this one thing has made a positive impact in how you feel. 
 
What’s on your list and what did you commit to? Comment below and let me know.
 
Xoxo,
 
Ingrid
 
P.S. If you are looking to prioritize your self-care so you can feel strong, vibrant and clear headed in a way that feels approachable and doable I encourage you to check out my brand new program: the Four Week Stress Cleanse: A Real- life Solution for Busy Women. This self-paced online program is full of practical tools designed to help you implement changes that fit into your life. Learn more here. Have questions? Send me an email.