Finding time for self-care in a busy world.

Today we’re going to talk about self-care, and what it would look like in a perfect world. I am going to share exactly what I do to take care of myself, and how I find the time to do it.

I have always been very religious about keeping up with my hygiene and personal care. But as a mom its become harder and harder to find the time for myself. Between feedings, diaper changes, running a business and having a family there is hardly any time left me these days.

So I make the time. I’ve learned that I have to schedule every minute of my “self-care” and make myself a priority because as a mother because it’s easy to give to everyone else and forget about yourself. As someone who suffers from anxiety, I have to make sure I take time out and create a balanced life for myself. I need to do the things that make me feel good on the inside and look good on the outside.

Daily Self Care

Sleep

Sleep is probably the number one form of self-care, and it’s vital to a person’s overall health and wellness. I also know how impossible sleep can be when you are a new mom, trust me I’ve been there. So there are ways I try to encourage a good night’s sleep now that my daughter is two. I start by having a good firm mattress, taking Calm before bed and lowering the temperature in our home. I also turn off electronics and the wifi which you can read about why I do it here.

Meditating

Depending on the day, and if my child lets me I like to stay in bed a few more minutes to meditate. I meditate by closing my eyes, breathing in and out a few times, listening to nothing (if possible) and visualizing the goal I want to achieve next. This is also a form of manifesting your goals, and it’s something I do regularly that I will talk about in a future blog post.

We will be having an interview with someone very special who will talk about visualizing for success so stay tuned for that.

Hydrate

I always wake up needing water throughout the night so I keep a bottle of water on my nightstand. So the second I wake up in the morning I chug whatever’s left which starts my digestive system going and just hydrates my body. Then I get ready for the day and do a facial massage which you can read why I do it here.

Nourish

I personally like to do Intermittent Fasting, which you can read more about why I like it here. But I still like to give my body some nourishment in the mornings. I make warm water and squeeze a lemon and add a little bit of Himalayan salt and drink that within a few minutes. Lemon is good for tons of things like weight loss, reducing the risk of heart disease, digestive issues and so much more. Himalayan salt has minerals that your body needs to stay healthy and can create an electrolyte balance. So It’s the perfect concoction to have first thing in the morning!

Move

In the perfect world, I would go for a run or to the gym first thing in the morning. I love fasted cardio and working out on an empty stomach. Some people like my husband can’t workout without eating so it’s totally personal preference. But getting to workout first thing in the morning sets the tone for the entire day.

Eating healthy

Eating healthy is a form of self-care because eating good nourishing foods have a ton of health benefits (duh!). But it’s easier said than done because most of the time we’re on the go, going to appointments, meetings, or some days it’s a really hard day at home. But when I eat more vegetables in my diet and don’t overeat I feel my absolute best! In turn, I also have less anxiety, since “bad” food is linked to stress and depression.

Weekly Self-Care

self-tan

If I’m not getting Tash to spray tan me for a photoshoot or if I’m going on vacation I will usually self-tan once a week. Check out both of those links for everything I do, what I use and how you can get a spray tan by Tash too!

Family Time

I mean this is more of a daily thing but once a week I like to schedule in an entire day dedicated to nothing but family. This is especially important when I work from home because it’s hard for me to separate work from being a mom all day. I always love it when I can dedicate time to only my husband and daughter, and have nothing else planned (and of course they like it too!).

Schedule Work

This is very subjective to the person but since I own my own business, and work from home I have to keep myself organized. I love what I do so much that I tend to overwork and setting a schedule helps me stay on track and prevent burn out. That’s why I can’t live without my planner, I do everything by it and I keep everything up to date. I’ve noticed that scheduling my days prevents me from stressing out over what I need to do next. It also holds me accountable to my goals and provides a way to sort of see into the future and figure out our next steps.

Monthly Self-Care

Massage

Once or twice a month I’ll book a massage since I always feel so amazing and sleep so well after. I feel the best results are when I go consistently to see my massage therapist, and mix in a few appointments with my chiropractor. Again there are tons of benefits to getting a massage done and I can’t wait to go to my next appointment.

Treating myself

Once a month I will treat myself (if I’m not saving for something big), to either lash extensions, manicure or a facial. I think it’s nice to spend a little money on myself once in a while. When I look good, I feel good!

Read a book

I’m constantly seeking out ways to educate myself and learn something new. So once a month I pick out a new book and set a goal to read it by the end of four weeks. This keeps me accountable plus I love reading so it’s another way I practice self-care.

Talk to someone

I like therapy which wasn’t always the case. Now, I realize talking to someone about your problems is such a positive way of dealing with stressors in your life. Its a privilege and if you have the opportunity to release some of that tension than by all means take advantage of it.

Spend time with friends

Last but not least, it’s important to be with friends. Since I became a mom my friend group got a lot smaller and I’m okay with that. We may see each other once every few months if we’re lucky but that’s okay. Every time I hang out with them I feel so much better, so I try to make time for dinner with friends or play dates with their children once a month at least.

Thanks for reading and I hope you were able to take some of these ideas for yourself. Self-care is important for everyone and comes in many different forms. When you live a busy life like we do the only way I can get in time to take care of myself, is when I schedule it in and plan ahead.

Let me know in the comments what is one way you like to practice self-care? It can be big or small.