If you want to begin your self care journey but don’t quite know where to start, don’t worry! You’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I will break down the process for you and guide you on your journey step by step.
Self care covers many aspects, like mental and physical health, community, purpose, rest and hobbies. There are plenty of areas which you can improve on, and you can’t do it all at once.
The best strategy is to break them down.
If you start with the easiest step first, you will build a strong and sustainable self care routine in no time. And you will stick to it!
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to begin your self care journey. It will be easy to incorporate in your daily life, and is customizable to your unique needs.
How to Begin Your Self Care Journey
Set Yourself Up For Success
Whenever you begin something new, it’s always a good idea to start with the easiest thing first. This builds confidence and motivates you to keep going.
When it comes to self care, no-one is starting from scratch. I mentioned earlier that there are several pillars to self care:
- mental health
- physical well-being
- community
- purpose
- rest and hobbies
Chances are you are already have experience with one of these things, for example:
- you used to work out at some point in your life;
- you used to doodle in your free time, or you may have started a course on calligraphy a couple of years ago;
- you volunteered when you were a student and found fulfillment in it.
The point is, self care can cover a lot of areas in your life. You have already lived some of it, so you have some experience and knowledge. Think about a time when you did something that felt rewarding, and start there!
Start Small
Let’s imagine you decided to begin your self care journey by focusing on physical health first. That covers a lot of ground: physical exercise, nutrition, sleep hygiene, preventative care, and so on.
Again, sounds overwhelming, right?
But what if you started with a 10 minute exercise routine 3 times a week? That’s doable.
It’s easy to find time for it. It doesn’t require you to change your everyday schedule or lifestyle, and it’s easy to do if you’re not in shape.
Does that make a difference?
Actually, yes. Any workout is better than no workout. But that’s not the point. You are starting small, because it builds habits and confidence. Soon, you will want to scale up. You will feel good abut it, and you will feel good in your own body. So you will make time for more. That’s how you grow.
Be Patient: Everything That Is Worthwhile Takes Time
When you begin your self care journey, please keep in mind: you will not see results right away. Your life will not change over night, and that should not be your goal.
Building up a new habit takes time, if you want it to be sustainable. So be patient. Trust me, you will see the results.
What happens if you fall off the wagon?
Nothing, you keep going. You skipped you workout routine of Wednesday? That’s okay, don’t stop. Be patient with yourself, because you are doing something new.
Re-adjusting takes time. Just because you didn’t exercise for a couple of weeks, does not mean you should give up. Go back into it, no shame. With every attempt, you will get better at it.
Build Around Your Small Habits
Great! Now that you exercise 3 times a week, you can add to it. You could extend your sessions to 15 minutes, instead of 10. Or you could decide to add an extra session.
Think of what works for you and what is feasible for you. Your goals should be achievable, otherwise your will feel overwhelmed.
When workout is part of your daily routine, you can start incorporating new things. For example, when is the last time you had a blood test? Can you schedule it? Did you have a dental check this year? Could you squeeze it in?
You could come up with a list of regular health checks. Plan them in the same month every year, so you’ll know: it’s January, time for my regular eye exam.
Add a New Level Of Difficulty
When your current habits are not a challenge anymore, you can add new elements to your self care. If you don’t have to make an effort about your workout routine, it’s time to focus on your nutrition.
Again, start with what you know. And if you think you don’t know the first thing about nutrition, you are wrong.
Most likely, you know that eating processed foods is bad for you. You could start by replacing two meals a week with cooked food. You don’t have to learn how to cook. The internet is full of easy recipes that anyone can make if you follow the instructions. Pick one or two and start there.
Educate Yourself
As you begin your self care journey, it’s important that you keep educating yourself.
What if I told you that learning is fun? I know, I know, your school days were either boring or hellish, or both. But those days are behind you. Because now you are learning something that interests you. You are putting in time towards your own well-being.
Start reading up on healthy eating. You’ll find yourself absorbed by the information. That’s because it interests you. We are interested in topics that concern us.
Learning is not only useful, but also rewarding. It expands your horizons, it helps you grow and develop, it shows you the way forward.
Take a few moments every week to study and then apply your leanings to your everyday life. You’ll love the person you become.
How to Stay Motivated on Your Self Care Journey
This Sounds Like a Lot of Work. How Do You Stay Motivated?
Easy: keep going. You give yourself permission to:
- be imperfect
- make mistakes
- start over if you failed.
This is a lifetime commitment, you don’t need the threat of perfection looming over you.
Self care should be fun and rewarding.
A rigid attitude will only make your goals feel like homework. If you give yourself space for mistakes, you are giving yourself space for growth.
Conclusion
Remember, you are in it for the long haul. What you are doing may seem small in the beginning, but you are growing all the time.
Your goal is not to be a different person tomorrow. It is to look back in a year’s time and marvel at how much you have grown. This is only possible if the habits you are instilling are sustainable.
Be patient, trust yourself. You’ve got this!