Making a sustainable self-care routine
by Megan
Most of us know that it's beneficial to our overall health and well-being to take care of ourselves. But making a routine of the habits and practices that feel good can be so hard when we’re stressed, busy, and overworked.
Today let's explore some approaches to creating sustainable self-care from people who get just how hard that can be.
What happens when we don’t make time for self-care?
Ever felt like just when you could really use a workout or long bath, but there is absolutely no time to do that?
We know self-care is usually the first thing that goes when life gets busy. It's a deeply human quality (one we can relate to!), but what happens when we don't make that space for ourselves?
We get more stressed. We become more susceptible to illness. Mental health takes a downturn, and you might even judge yourself harshly for failing to do the ‘thing’ - whether it’s a workout, a coffee date, or a moment to journal.
The added demand on our system can make us feel overextended or overwhelmed, and we get snappy and over-reactive to things that might not normally upset us. Overextended periods of high output without self care can lead us to the beginnings of burnout or a complete crash.
Making time for exercise routines gets harder as we experience stress
How to make good routines sustainable
Over the years we've found a few tips that have made it easier for us to hold on to our self-care practices. These aren't exhaustive, but a good start.
Be SMART
You may have heard of SMART goals the idea of getting really specific and intentional about your goals so you can lay them out in a way that sets you up for success.
Specific - take time to decide what it is you need from your self-care routine, identify what specific practices are most helpful.
Measurable - how will you determine if your efforts are successful? Is there an outcome or experience you expect?
Achievable - are the expenses of time/money/energy/skill achievable for you to sustain this practice?
Realistic - consider if you need to have flexibility for times when time/money/energy/skill are low.
Time-bound- know that when it comes to self care it's the first thing we tend to drop when life gets busy. Are you putting aside a reasonable amount of time for your goals and desires results?
Reduce barriers to your routine
One of my most successful ways of maintaining self-care routines comes from planning.
When it comes to scheduling, I literally put my self-care practices (meditation, movement practices, therapy, journaling etc.) into my calendar. These practices are the first thing I add to my schedule after my non-negotiables like work. In this way, I commit to carving out time for myself and (usually) resist the temptation to double-book myself. This helps create a little more time and structure.
Plan ahead to make it as easy as you can to just go do the self-care thing.
Make appointments or sign in to your classes early
Put your workout clothes out the night before or put your gym bag in the car so it's ready
Have meals and water packed
Set reminders or use calendar alarms
Find momentum
For self-care to be sustainable, it also needs momentum. Relying solely on willpower can add stress and sometimes reinforce patterns of all or nothing thinking.
As a non-morning person I groan every time the early alarm goes off for yoga. I'm never going to feel motivated to be awake and out of bed hours before sunrise. But going to a class with one of my best friends and acknowledging the success of making time and space to practice the things I love serves as momentum for my follow-through.
On those cold dark mornings when the promise of showing up for myself is less enticing than going back to sleep, I create my own momentum.
3-2-1 GO!
One of our favorite ways to dig deep when it's you vs you in a procrastination stand-off is the 3-2-1 method. Great news - it's very easy! Instead of delaying, create your own hype and momentum by counting down… 3…2…1 and go! Now go do the thing!
Acknowledgement and accountability
Maintain momentum by making ways to acknowledge your practice of showing up for yourself. Some folks use their watches or love apps (like Strava) where you can record your movement practices, do challenges, and interact with friends. The app Finch has a free version we both use to customize our self-care practices and daily goals while still getting the dopamine hit of ticking it off the list.
Accountability buddies can be awesome. Can you include friends to join you or check in as a form of accountability and motivation?
Looking for more?
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Read: making space for calm - dec 19 link
Watch: Our YouTube channel for movement practices, meditation, pranayama, rolling and more!
