How to build a daily habit of self care

Self-care is essential for everybody. It plays a key role in reducing stress, improving mood and promoting better holistic health.

Establishing a daily self-care routine isn’t always easy, especially if you’ve never really thought about it before. However, we’ve got some simple steps that you can follow to incorporate self-care into your daily activities below.

Determine self-care activities you enjoy

Self-care looks different for everybody, so it’s important to spend some time thinking about what activities bring you joy. Do you like painting, playing an instrument, writing in a journal, or walking in nature? Self-care doesn’t need to be spending hours at a spa or going for a day long hike. Even “small” activities are important.

Weave self-care into your day

Since self-care can include stepping outside to look at your garden, listening to a favorite podcast while you are preparing a meal, or reading before bed, you can practice self-care at the times when it works best for you.

If you are having trouble fitting self-care activities into your day, scheduling may help. Again, it doesn’t need to take l hours to complete! You can pick what time works for you and your unique schedule, like over your morning coffee or an after-dinner walk outside in nature.

Be realistic

If you’ve never included self-care in your routine before, don’t expect yourself to figure things out straight away. It might take you a few weeks of purposeful self-care to get into a regular routine, where it becomes second nature to care for yourself each day.

Consistency is key and, although some days may be busier than others, try to incorporate even just a few minutes of self-care into your routine seven days a week.