My daily self-care routinE
Habits that I practice daily and which allow me to be happy and stay healthy
Work. Kids. Laundry. Cooking. Cleaning. Zoom calls. Grocery shopping. Ironing. Pay bills. Call mom or don’t call mom. Doctor appointment. Wait! The little one is sick and can’t go to daycare. Sleep. Wakeup! 5 for minutes more, in a minute …. Not now, not today! I don’t have time, I’m busy, I have other priorities right now, need to work…oh I have this zoom call. Yes, I’m pretty stressed and it’s quite a lot, but this week is really a busy week…and this week is really a busy week has been a busy week since last year and the list goes on.
Where are you on your priority list and how are you taking care of yourself? A few years back I didn’t know where to begin and I wasn’t very sure what self-care meant. To focus on myself… isn’t that selfish? How do I make time for myself and doesn’t self- care just add up to my long to do list? According to WHO, self-care is “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker”. According to this definition self-care refers to everything related to being healthy: nutrition, activities that promote physical and emotional health, hygiene, exercising, seeking medical care when necessary etc. Self-care is not being selfish. Self-care means taking care of yourself to be healthy so that you can care for others, do your job well and whatever you need to accomplish.
What does daily self-care look like to me and what is it that I do that gives me energy and a good mood throughout my day?
I wake up early
Yes, me! the night owl, the moon child, worshiper of the night, who likes to stay awake, watch the stars and catch the sunrise.
When I had my first child I started to wake up early because the little one would, and now it becomes a habit. I set my alarm to wake up one hour before everyone does. It gives me much needed and wanted time for myself to simply enjoy the silence before I start my day. I’ve been doing this for a while now and I noticed the positive effects on my mood and improved concentration throughout my day.
I drink a glass of water with lemon on an empty stomach
Drinking water in the morning it rehydrates you after a waterless night, it helps the body to wake up , it stimulates your metabolism and it promotes digestion. Lemon is a detox agent, is packed with anti-inflammatory properties, cleanse the liver and boosts the immune system.
I practice 15-20 minutes of yoga in the morning
One of the reasons I like to wake up early in the morning is to practice quietly my yoga routine. This 15- 20 minutes of yoga in the morning allows me to gently wake up my body. It provides stretch, tension and stress relief as well as mental clarity.
I eat mindfully
How many times have you heard: You are what you eat? All the time. But what does that mean? Food is information and it connects us to our cells. What message would you like your cells to receive? Connect to your food: observe its colors, feel the texture, feel the taste, enjoy the food you’re eating because that food nourishes you, it nourishes your cells. I get it! You don’t have time during your day to chew each bite at least 30 times, but try to do so with the first four bites, in silence…. be present, think of how your food will make you healthy and strong. How does that feel?
I meditate
I am new to meditation and when I first started I felt completely lost and frustrated because I wasn’t able to focus. You might feel to in the beginning but it does become better with practice. When I meditate, I allow myself to be present and to simply be. Meditation allows me to become more aware and it slows down my thoughts. I don’t have a preferred moment during the day, but whenever I feel like it, I simply allow myself to just be.
I limit the use of social media in the morning and in the evening
I set a very important rule for myself and that is to limit the use of social media during the first hour in the morning and after 20h in the evening. Starting and ending your day with newsfeed means allowing dozens of voices and colorful images enter your mind. How many times did you go to bed at night thinking about that twitter thread or how the grass is always greener on Instagram? How many times did you find yourself lost in scrolling or surfing from one page to another forgetting where you started in the first place? Since I’ve been applying this rule, I realized that I am more productive and more focused in the morning and frees a lot more of my time in the evening. I’m also going to be bed earlier at night and it really helps with the “wake-up early in the morning” part.
Self-care is very personal and it’s about what makes each of us thrive. What nourishes the very essence of our souls, what gives us energy and what makes us happy. Focusing on ourselves and on our wellbeing is essential in order to be able to care for others and accomplish our tasks. Listen to your body and follow that inner voice.