10 Favorite Self Care Reads
Happy Monday everyone!
Weekends can be busy and every Sunday I find myself wishing that I had one more day to do all that I wanted to do. Ideally, every weekend is going to include some time for self care but there are times when it can be hard to find time to simply sit down.
Far too many women do not think about their own needs and often feel selfish. Discussing and writing about self care has been a main focus for me since the origins of this blog and I know many of my posts have been significant for readers. My initial Self Care Saturday Series. focused upon providing tips and suggestions for self care. Over time, I moved that series into Try This At Home. To help you become acquainted (or as a reminder), today I’m providing an introduction and overview of 10 of my most self care reads.
What Is Self Care?
This post began the weekly series. I discover that many people feel that self care is selfish and there isn’t time for it. My goal is to help people realize that self care is something that needs to be done daily and includes regular routines such as sleep, the clothes we wear and how we organize our day.The First Thing You Need to Do Each Morning
What does your morning routine look like? Do you jump out of bed or constantly hit the snooze button? If you have animals, you know that the first thing a cat or dog does when waking up is stretch. Most humans do not give this act a thought as the details of the day loom ahead. This post provides some simple, easy and quick suggestions for starting your day.What Are You Saying To Yourself?
Do you say things to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a friend? Believe it or not, most individuals say extremely negative thoughts. Self care begins with how we view ourselves and the comments we daily make.A Space of Your Own
Is there a space in your home that is your own? It doesn’t matter how small or large your space is, it is important to have a spot that is comfortable and your own. That can be a favorite chair, a renovated closet or a bedroom made into your office. Take time to create and establish your own space.Schedule Yourself on Your Calendar
You schedule work meetings and your children’s activities, but do you schedule time for yourself in your life? Self care begins with making sure there is time for the things you want to do and that can range from making your hair appointment to scheduling a night out with friends.How To Protect Your Time
This post was inspired by a Facebook status by a dear friend who is a motivational speaker and trainer. She acknowledged she turned down two paid speaking engagements because they were set to be on days she had blocked out as self care days. This is a woman who works circles around everyone I know. However, she understands that without blocking out time, she is unable to do the work that is meaningful to her. Do you give up time that you have set aside for yourself?How To Take A Deep Breath
Breathing is something that we do naturally but the stress and busyness of our daily lives changes the quality of our breath. Do you find yourself sighing? Are your shoulders tense. This post will walk you through very quick and easy ways to take a deep breath and you will immediately feel a difference.Try This At Home: Make Your Bed
Did you know that 59% of people surveyed DO NOT make their bed in the morning? Making your bed in the morning can help you feel accomplished.Try This At Home: Create A Bedtime Ritual
Staying busy can occur right until bedtime, making it so that many simply fall into bed. Establishing a bedtime ritual can provide a time to slow down. This post discusses ways to establish a bedtime routine that can lead to a good night sleep.
Try This At Home: Have A Power Hour
Do you have a list of tasks that you keep putting off until later (and then later never comes). Establishing a power hour encourages you to set aside one hour each week to finally tackle those pesky tasks that never seem to go away.I would love to hear from you in regards to your own self care practice.
Take time to check out the other posts in these series and remember new post occur each Monday.
I seriously stink at self care, but I DO think I could make my bed each day. Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll look forward to checking out more of your thoughts. I wrote about self care here (where you’ll see I’m mostly a failure, but I know things have to change). Thanks for sharing! http://www.coffeecoloredsofa.com/2016/02/unintentionally-spectacle.html
Nicole, we are all works in progress in regards to self care – it comes and goes in waves. I hope you will try at least one of the suggestions. Take baby steps and see how it goes – and let me know how you are doing with it.
The first thing I do when I get out of my bed is make it! Aside from the clutter issue, it feels so much more rewarding and comfortable to me to climb into a pre-made bed!
I am right there with you in regards to it feeling so wonderful climbing into a made bed. It’s so much more welcoming.
I’m so bad at self care and I constantly feel run down. These are some great reads!
It is never too late to start taking care of yourself! I hope you will find some inspiration in some of these reads – and let me know how you are doing.
I love that you compiled these! some of my favorite posts. I need this reminder this week… and it’s only Monday! 😉
We all need a reminder of these posts periodically. Here’s hoping your Tuesday was better.
Great roundup! I just read one of these articles and I’ll be back to read more later. 🙂
Thanks Crystal. Would love to have you come back and check out the others.
i am bad at making my bed! but i blame my dog, who un-makes it! 😉
That is too funny! I’ve often had to make my cats up in the bed and they think of it as a game.
It’s so tough to make the bed in the morning! I feel like I have 1000 other things going on lol
I know but consider that it takes only a few minutes and can make you feel better immediately.
You have the best resources for self care!
Thanks Nina!! That means a lot to here.
AGREED!
Love, love, love this! Pinning it so I can refer back OFTEN. Thank you!
Love it! But I have to admit, I’m not a bed maker! I’ll have to give this one a try! 🙂 Great post!