Self Care. What a hot phrase right now! Despite it’s trendy tendencies, you actually should care about it and we are here to tell you why.

what is self care?

What exactly constitutes as self care? Self care are the practices that intentionally care for and/or improve your body’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. These are often the regular healthy habits that you choose to act upon, that add up over time in bettering your overall health.

Self care can look different to each and every one of us. Just like each of our body’s have individual needs, so do our self care routines. Our health status, work demands, family commitments, environment, and even our exercise and nutrition needs can play a role in our self care design. Self care can even change in the same body given different time periods and changes in life demands. Our time availability can play a big role in our self care choices.

For example, as a busy, working mom of 3 young children, your self care may look like taking a trip to the grocery store by yourself on Sundays, going on a walk with a friend a few times a week, and squeezing in a 20 min power nap before the kids get off the bus. As an executive CEO of a large company, your self care routine may involve a daily 60 minute workout + sauna session and a weekly massage. Now, these may be two very different and extreme scenarios, but hopefully you get the point. Neither of these two self care routines are better or worse, they are just different!

Yes, sign me up for the weekly massage…I digress.

why does it matter?

“Self care is not an indulgence, it’s a discipline” – Path Forward

We need to stop thinking of self care as a “special treat,” but rather a lifestyle. Many people are quick to wait to get that massage or physical therapy appointment until they are already hurting. Or wait to hit the daily sauna and celery juicing until they have already been diagnosed with a chronic illness. I’ll let you in on a little secret… self care is a whole lot easier and more enjoyable when you are doing it when you already feel well! It’s so much harder to do when you are already feeling ill, hurt or down in the dumps. The reality is that we are all busy and there are only so many hours in the day. But if you don’t make time for your wellness, you are going to have to make time for your illness. It’s like they always says, “you pay now or you pay later; you choose!”

“If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will have to make time for your illness.”

Self care is important because it can provide you with a magnificent and abundant life. One where you are able to spend quality time and energy with those that you love most, doing what you love most. It’s one thing to live to be an old age, but it’s another to live to be a healthy old age. The difference between LIFESPAN and HEALTH SPAN. I encourage you to choose the journey to a better health span!

How do I develop a self care routine?

Okay, so we’ve convinced you it’s a good idea to create your own self care regimen. GREAT! Now comes the tricky part – CREATING it. There is not a magic solution to the creation. It needs to be completely unique to you and it may take some time to figure out what is most efficient and effective. We use the word routine here a lot, but it doesn’t have to be a strict schedule for it to be effective. The idea is to capture a handful of healthy habits that you enjoy and seek benefit from, and place them into your life experiences. The more often you can capture these actions, the better. Self care things add up over time.

Think of your self care routine like filling a bucket of water. Each and every little drop counts!

Start by thinking about the things that are most enjoyable and important to you. Begin by adding in some regular, healthy activities that you enjoy. You don’t want this to feel like a chore. You are going to have to get specific when it actually comes to implementing these things. Self care is easy to fly right out the window with one stressful day or week. Once you have picked out an activity, brainstorm the exact day and time that you are going to perform it. Schedule it in your calendar and DO NOT cancel that date with yourself.

self care examples

What are examples of self care activities? Here are a few!

• Exercise
• Physical Therapy
• Massage
• Chiropractic
• Acupuncture
• Talk Therapy
• Stretching & Rolling
• Sauna
• Essential Oils
• Reiki
• Craniosacral Therapy
• Myofascial Release
• Epsom Salt Bath
• Salt Cave
• Get Away Retreat or Vacation
• Time in Nature
• Nap
• Quiet Time by Yourself
• Read a Book
• Play Music
• Church
• Girls Night Out!
• Lunch with yourself at a favorite restaurant
• Supplements
• Skin Care Routine
• Facial
• Meditation or Prayer

The options are endless! Make a list of your favorite, “feel good” things of your own and schedule a few in your calendar for next month. Be careful not to overindulge and over do it. It’s best to pick 1-2 easily achievable self care items to start with and then adjust and build up from there.

If your body is currently feeling like it needs a little extra TLC, we would love to serve you! Come on in and schedule your physical therapy session or fitness class at Fit PT. Give us a call or schedule today!