One of the best tips I can give for practicing self care is to make that shit a priority! If you don’t. it’s so easy to keep putting it off and let yourself be run completely dry.
One of my favorite sayings is “You can’t pour from an empty cup”. This is something I always used to struggle with, and still do sometimes. I will get so caught up in the hustle of everyday, I won’t notice when my cup is empty. Making sure I schedule time for myself is KEY to keeping my cup full. After the all, the more you fill up your cup, the more you’ll have to pour into others.
Tips for Scheduling Time for Yourself
Know Your Schedule
The key to making sure you are scheduling time for yourself is KNOWING your schedule. It might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people try to mentally keep track of their schedule. I promise writing it down (or keeping it in your phone_ will not only help prevent you from being stressed, but will also help make it more clear where your free time is.
Once you know when you are free, you are one step closer to scheduling some “Me Time”!
Schedule Your Time + Stick to it!
Once you know you’re schedule, you need to pick a day/time for you! I highly recommend taking time for yourself once a week. If you don’t think you can swing that, once a month is a great start! Personally, I make my self care nights every Thursday after work.
Once you have your day(s)/time(s) selected, write that shit down! Schedule it into your day like a meeting with yourself and STICK TO IT. Don’t cancel it when other things come up, don’t push it back and say “I’ll do that later” or “It’s not that important anyway”. You wouldn’t cancel a meeting with your boss, so don’t cancel one with yourself either!
If you aren’t willing to hold your commitments with yourself, how can you expect others to hold commitments with you?
Know HOW You Want to Spend Your “Me Time”
Once you have your “Me Time” scheduled, knowing how you want to spend your time is the next most important step. Having a clear idea of how you want to spend your time gives you a plan, which helps make you more likely to stick to it, and helps get you excited for your self care time! If you’re excited about it, you will be likely to take time to do it.
I think it’s important to note that self care looks different for everyone. For me, it looks like taking a bubble bath or getting a mani pedi. For someone else, it might be laying in the sun, watching Netflix, or going for a walk. Self care is meant to make YOU feel good. If it isn’t making you happy or feeding your soul, stop what you’re doing and do something else!
Eat. Hustle. Thrive. 