These days there is a lot to be said about self-care and the need for a self-care routine, but why is this so important? You may be asking yourself if it is necessary to have a self-care routine or can’t you just simply practice self-care from time to time? I will tell you my personal experience with self-care routines and why I think they are an absolute necessity.
I didn’t always have a self-care routine. I enjoyed “moments” of self-care every so often that seemed to be working for me just fine. However, when things got busier and more chaotic in my life, things also became chaotic with my ability to practice self-care. The busier I became, the more overwhelmed I was and the less self-care I practiced. Is this starting to resonate with you?
I convinced myself that everything was more important and urgent than what I needed for my own wellbeing. It wasn’t until I started having issues with my own health that I realized I could no longer afford to not take care of myself. I am important to my children, my husband, and my family. Therefore, I needed to be the most important person in my life. For my sake and for my family’s sake. Are you the most important person in your life?
I worked on establishing a self-care routine that now consists of waking up at least 1-2 hours before everyone else in my home. This allows me the time I need to practice a routine that helps me achieve the results I want and need in order to have a better day. My self-care routine sets the stage for how I will respond to whatever situations come my way. What would your self-care routine look like and what needs to happen for you to build one?
The importance you have on yourself and the rest of the world is just one reason why establishing a self-care routine is important, but read below for more on the importance of self-care routines.
You are better prepared to manage stress
In the state of California, we are often reminded of the importance of having an earthquake kit so when and if an earthquake disaster occurs, we can be better prepared. We are not told that the kit will save us from being severely impacted by the earthquake, but simply that we will have less of a struggle, if we have the necessities in place such as water, flashlights, canned food, etc.
The same thing happens when we establish a self-care routine. We are not spared the struggles in life. We simply are better prepared to manage the stressors associated with those things that can affect our lives. You may be impacted by a difficult life event, but being prepared with a self-care routine helps you thrive by having the tools in place that you need to cope during life’s difficult moments.
You are guaranteed “Me Time.”
How many of you crave some time for yourself? You wonder when you will have a few moments to yourself to be able to breathe, drink your morning coffee in peace, to read a book or simply to scroll through news media articles.
Having a self-care routine in place helps to ensure that you dedicate that much needed “me time” for yourself. A routine helps you enjoy daily self-care. Depending on the time that works for you, you can start your day on the right foot or end your day with some relaxation techniques. Who doesn’t love relaxation?
You allow yourself the space to practice self-love
If you dedicate time for yourself, you are taking the first step in practicing self-love. Oftentimes, we think that the idea of loving ourselves means being happy with the way we look or having confidence and great self-esteem. While this is true, self-love also means caring for all aspects of ourselves every day. A solid self-care routine that is practiced often is part of our self-love process.
You get to know what self-care actually looks like for you
In the process of building your self-care routine, you get to discover what that actually looks like for you. We are often told what activities we should practice to perform self-care, but these activities may not be ideal for us. We are all built differently and thrive on doing different things. Working on building a self-care routine will help you weed out the practices that simply just do not work for you.
You gain motivation
The clearer you get on what a self-care routine looks like for you and the more you practice these things on a daily basis, the more motivation you acquire to do the things you love. A self-care routine that is built around an ideal time and doing the things that you enjoy will increase your motivation and boost your confidence
For more on self-care routines, check out the blog post on how to Improve Your Self-Care Routine in 3 Easy Steps.
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Now go on and don’t forget to be your most beautiful self.
Elizabeth 🙂