Do you feel overwhelmed with your everyday responsibilities? Do you wish you could feel more rested and relaxed throughout your day? If you resonate with these questions, you would benefit from creating a proper self-care routine.
Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, increase happiness, and more. Taking regular time to relax, reflect, and nourish yourself can be one of the most valuable gifts you give yourself.
In this post we will touch on the types and benefits of self-care, a questionnaire to help you identify activities you could add to your routine, other areas to consider while creating your routine, and tips for making these activities a priority. Let’s get started!
The 4 types of self-care
When creating a self-care routine, it is essential to understand the four different types of self-care activities. Knowing the different types helps you to create a balanced practice, which helps to calm and reenergize you in different ways. Here are the four types of self-care to consider:
1. Physical self-care:
This includes exercise, nutrition, sleep, hygiene, and anything else connected to maintaining physical wellness.
2. Emotional self-care:
This includes journaling, therapy, expressing feelings, arts and crafts, and everything related to your emotional health and expression.
3. Social self-care:
This includes connecting with loved ones, joining supportive groups, and creating and maintaining social bonds with others.
4 Mental self-care:
This pertains to activities that stimulate your mind and reduce stress. Examples include reading, engaging in a hobby, learning something new, practicing mindfulness or meditation, and taking breaks to recharge your mental energy.
It’s essential to have a mix of activities from each type of self-care, so you feel balanced and recharged in all areas of your life.
Examples of self-care practices
When creating your self-care routine, it’s essential to reflect on activities and rituals that bring you joy. As adults, we are told the lie that we must focus more on our responsibilities and obligations, often leaving behind anything we find enjoyable.
A well-rounded self-care routine will bring back the fun and joy and help you remember that you are much more than a taskmaster checking things off your to-do list.
When choosing which activities to include in your routine, try new things and experiment with what makes you feel relaxed and rested vs. stressed and drained. Focus on how the exercises make you feel before, during, and after you do them. For example, if you feel stressed just thinking about writing a journal entry, it’s best to leave this out of your routine.
As mentioned earlier, there are four main types of self-care: physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. Here are a few ideas of self-care activities and rituals from each of the four types of self-care that you can incorporate into your routine:
Physical self-care:
- Going for a walk or run to get some fresh air and movement
- Eating healthy food that nourishes your body
- Getting more sleep or sticking to a sleep hygiene schedule
- Taking time out for a relaxing massage or spa treatment
- Doing some gentle stretching or yoga
- Taking a hot bath or shower to help relax your body
Emotional self-care:
- Journaling or writing down your thoughts and feelings
- Talking to supportive friends, family members, or a therapist
- Doing an act of service for someone else
- Practicing mindfulness activities like breathing exercises and guided meditation
- Doing arts and crafts that allow you to express your feelings
- Listening to music or watching shows that make you laugh or lift your spirits
Social self-care:
- Connecting with friends or family over the phone, video chat, or in person
- Joining an online support group or forum
- Getting involved in your community through volunteering or attending events
- Setting boundaries with people to ensure you aren’t overwhelmed or taken advantage of
- Intentionally choosing to limit your time on social media
- Taking a break from people who are not supportive or don’t make you feel good
Mental self-care:
- Reading books or articles
- Solving puzzles or playing strategy games
- Engaging in a creative hobby (e.g., painting, writing, crafting)
- Learning a new skill or language
- Practicing mindfulness or meditation
- Taking breaks during work to avoid burnout
- Setting goals and planning for personal growth
- Reflecting on positive experiences and achievements
- Listening to podcasts or audiobooks
- Spending time in nature to clear your mind
No matter what activity or practice you choose, be sure to make it something enjoyable for yourself. Self-care should never feel like a chore; instead, it’s an opportunity to give yourself the time and attention you deserve!
Benefits of self care
Having a solid self-care routine can benefit your mental health in many ways. When you take the time to prioritize your mental and physical wellness, you are investing in yourself and permitting yourself to recharge on all levels.
Prioritizing your self-care routine can lead to the following:
- Improved energy levels
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Better sleep quality
- Increased happiness and self-esteem
- More self-awareness
- Improved relationships with others
Not only does regular self-care help to reduce stress and take the pressure off of yourself, but it can also improve your overall sense of well-being and peacefulness. Self-care helps to keep you grounded in the present moment and cultivate joy in everyday life. It is a way for us to find moments of connection with ourselves and be gentle and loving toward our needs.
Self-care doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful either—it can be as simple as taking a few moments each day for yourself. It’s an opportunity for you to connect with yourself and recognize how valuable and worthy you are of love, care, attention, and kindness. When we prioritize ourselves, it’s easier for us to fill up our cups and meet life’s demands with more energy and joy.
What activities should I add to my routine?
Sometimes it’s hard to know what you do or don’t like to do. That can happen when work, family, or life takes up all of your mental time and energy for an extended period of time.
Take some time to work your way through our questionnaire to help you brainstorm activities you want to include in your routine.
Self-care questionnaire
- What activities do I find soothing and relaxing?
- What kinds of play or fun activities make me feel excited and energized?
- What can I do to take care of my physical body?
- Do I need more time with loved ones to connect and feel supported?
- Are there activities that you enjoy outside in nature?
- Are there art or writing activities that help me express my feelings?
- Would I want to meditate, practice positive affirmations, or start a yoga practice to ease my worries and negative self-talk?
- Would I enjoy giving back to my community or helping someone else feel better? If so, how would I do that?
- Do I need to set better boundaries or say ‘no’ more often? What kinds of boundaries would be helpful to my life?
- What are some moments of stillness or peace that I can savor throughout the day?
- Are there spiritual practices that I can incorporate into my life for a deeper connection?
- How can I express gratitude in my life?
- Do you feel happier or calmer when your space is tidy and organized?
- Do you enjoy DIY-ing crafts or growing plants for your space?
- Does caring for or playing with your pet bring you joy and happiness?
- Are there activities I used to enjoy but haven’t done in a while? Do I want to do them again?
- What things or activities make me feel most like myself?
- How can I ensure my self-care routine is something I look forward to doing?
One of the main obstacles in creating a new habit is when the starting point is too difficult. In this case, when you add things to your routine that sounds good or that someone else is doing so you think you should, too, it can cause stress and make you avoid your routine altogether.
Understanding what you like and are naturally inclined to want to do can help ensure the activities you choose are something you look forward to whenever you start any part of your routine.
How often should I do self-care?
The key to success when creating a self-care routine is starting slowly and with only one to a few activities. If you have never had this type of routine before, the last thing you need is to stress over a list of 20 things you said you’d do to ensure you’d stop being stressed! Start with one thing at a time.
For example, if you suffer from depression, it may be hard to maintain basic hygiene. Try brushing your teeth today as a way to engage in self-care. It seems like a small task to most, but when you are depressed and have difficulty getting out of bed, brushing your teeth can feel like a mountain of a task. Set yourself up for success by not overwhelming yourself and starting slow.
When deciding how often you will incorporate self-care into your schedule, make sure it’s something that you can realistically commit to. Start by carving out small chunks of time each day or week for yourself, and slowly build up from there.
An example of scheduling would be setting aside an hour in the evening to shower and make a cup of tea, or 3 hours on a Saturday to paint and listen to music. As you become comfortable with your routine, you can adjust the frequency and duration of your self-care activities and add new activities when you feel comfortable doing so.
Your routine will be a bit of trial and error, but you will learn quickly what feels right for you.
Tips for making self-care a priority
Self-care should be considered an investment in yourself rather than something you do out of obligation or guilt. Taking care of yourself should not be seen as selfish but a necessary part of your overall emotional and physical health.
Remember to be gentle and understanding with yourself, too. Self-care is not about reaching perfection or having the “perfect” routine; it’s about creating something that works for you.
It’s okay if some days are harder than others or you don’t have the time to devote to a lengthy routine. The schedule is flexible to what you need it to be.
The 7-step self-care routine checklist
Now that we understand the types of self-care and identified activities we would like to add to our routine, it’s time to make your schedule! Here are seven steps to creating your very own practice:
- Identify what types of self-care are important to you (mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional).
- Make a list of activities that could fit into each category (use the questionnaire from earlier).
- Choose one or two activities from each type of self-care to start with.
- Schedule these activities into your weekly routine.
- Adjust the amount of time you spend on each activity based on what works for you.
- Monitor how your self-care routine makes you feel and regularly reassess whether or not it is helping.
- Make adjustments to the activities you are engaging in if necessary
With time and practice, these steps will become second nature, and you will be able to add, remove, and adjust activities with ease.
Conclusion
Creating a self-care routine is a personal and evolving process. Take the time to explore activities from the four types of self-care that resonate with you to design a routine that works for you. By prioritizing self-care, you invest in your happiness and foster a healthier, more fulfilling life. Commit to your routine and know that you are worth it to set this time aside for you.
What is your favorite self-care activity? Is there something you’ve added to your routine that has made a big difference in your life? Let us know in the comments!
Although creating a self-care routine sounds simple, it can feel overwhelming for some. Depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions make reducing stress and worry difficult. If you are suffering in this way, it may be time to talk to a counselor who specializes in what you are experiencing.
Visit our counselor’s page to learn about our counselors’ specialties, or call us to help you get started. Finding relaxation and restoration is possible!
