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You’ve probably got certain routines in your life already, so it shows that you’re capable of sticking to something and seeing it through, right? But what about your daily self-care routine? How are you taking care of yourself on a soul level?

In between all the chores, other habits, and other people’s needs that come first, we often forget our own. I’m sure you know the analogy about your own oxygen mask being fitted first, before helping others. Well, the same can be applied to whether you make taking care of yourself a priority or not.

Do you plan to start or already have a daily self-care routine, and are encountering problems with sticking to it? Well, fear not, below are some top tips I recommend when people are struggling to find time for themselves.

So how can you start a self-care routine, and stick to it?

The right mindset. Focus on your own needs. It’s about changing your mindset towards what you think you’re worth and how you deserve to be treated.
Make it doable. Break it down and focus on smaller goals. This will make a huge difference in you sticking to your routine.
Just plan it. Another major influence is planning. If you’ve made a conscious effort to write something down then you’re halfway there to achieving it. If you only have a couple of hours for yourself each workday or week, you must get creative about how you spend those precious hours.

So what would a self-care goal be?

Well, that would of course be different for everybody, but in my opinion, the essentials would be about:

Helping you live each day with a lighter yet grounded approach.
Giving yourself structure and focus that benefits you in all areas of your life.
Feeling more balanced and feeling more nourished internally.

To achieve that I find that these five elements are unmissable in a daily routine:

Getting centred and becoming grounded.
An affirmation practice.
Moving your body.
Filling your heart.
Giving thanks.

So let’s break it down:

Getting centred and becoming grounded

Doing an activity you enjoy, that gets you centred and grounded, and that sets you up for the day.
At a designated time of day, and in a dedicated space in your home. If outside, then preferably without external distractions or potential dangers (people, traffic).
It could be sitting quietly and meditating, or a brisk walk outside. As long as you place your focus on turning inwards, and getting your mind quiet. Listening to your breathing, and consciously slowing down.
Whether you’re moving around or sitting to get quiet, it’s about just being in the moment. Be it two minutes or ten, do however long you can.

Affirmation

An affirmation is simply put, a statement. Something you’re calling out as true and fact, specifically about a wish or goal of yours, but without using words such as ‘wish’, ‘hope’ or ‘like’.

Which of these two affirmations below do you find more convincing and motivating?

1) Today I’d like everything to go smoothly with my job interview, and I hope I might get called back.

Or:

2) Today my job interview is a success and I will be called back for a second interview.

Big difference, right?

Starting your day with a powerful affirmation will set you up with the right mindset and attitude. You can choose to say it when you practise getting centred and grounded, maybe save it on your phone as a screensaver or a pop-up reminder throughout the day. You could even journal about it.

Moving your body

Next is exercising, or moving your body however you see fit. Whether it’s gentle stretching or a vigorous fitness routine it’s about committing to yourself. It could be five minutes or an hour, that doesn’t matter right now.
Start small, then lengthen the time spent on the activity. It’s about creating a habit right now, and even if you’re so exhausted and cringe at the thought of jumping around then just do something gentle instead. If all else fails, take a bath or have a shower, one activity that’s great for everything.

Filling your heart

You can get so busy just keeping up with everybody else’s drama and trying to survive the day that you forget to take care of yourself, to fill your own heart with joy.

Do something that nourishes you internally. That thing that makes you happy, and feel relaxed and will help you forget what was occupying your mind previously. It’s about connecting with yourself on a soul level. Having me-time.
Let’s assume you only have 10-30 minutes available daily, find that activity that fills you with joy, plan it, and make time to do it. If it needs a lot of preparation and you only have ten minutes then make sure you’ve got everything ready to just get stuck in.

Make it doable, and have fun.

Giving thanks

Practising gratitude can be very healing, humbling and grounding.

Just taking a few moments each day to say thanks for something in your life can help lift your heart and strengthen a positive mindset.
Life can seem full of daily doom and gloom, either in the background or up close and personal, and we can’t change that most of the time. However, how we react to it is in our hands. Practising gratitude will help strengthen that light inside of you, helping in those moments when you need it the most.
Maybe you’d like to journal about it. Or just jot it down in your daily journal. It could even be done in the evening as a little closing ceremony, saying thanks for the day behind you.
Personalise it, make it your own.

Lastly, I want to talk about how failure can and will happen. Failure to show up, for whatever reason, and that’s okay! Remember:

Be kind to yourself, if and when it happens.
The worst thing you can do is dwell on it, so try to just recognise it for what it is, and make a mindful effort to start again.
Is it happening more often? Then maybe you need to evaluate if it’s the right time of day or evaluate the length of time needed for carrying it out, for example.

Nothing is set in stone, and that goes for your daily self-care routine too. Remember it’s all part of life, and to just have fun with it.

I hope this post was helpful to you, and that it inspires you with your practice. Thanks for your time, feel free to use the comments section below to share your thoughts.

Enjoy your Sunday,

Yvonne Martha x