How has your self care routine been going? Started but then slid off track? You’re not alone. Sometimes, despite your best intentions and efforts, things get in your way or derail what you started.
These 3 simple steps that will help you establish your self care routine by creating time, being conscious of your intentional steps, and having the support to stay on track.
To Establish Your Self Care Routine Do This!
Step 1: Create Time For Your Self Care Routine
Stephen Covey’s book, First Things First, highlights 4 quadrants in which you spend your time. Quadrant 4 is the space that is neither important nor urgent, yet it is where you likely spend far too much time. This is a great place to carve out the time you need for self care.
DO THIS: Minimize daily time with things like social media, online gaming, binge watching things like TV, Netflix, and YouTube, and minimize your consumption of the news, however you take it in.
Can this carve out the time you need to establish your self care routine? Absolutely! Can you still do those things. Sure… just not as much.
Connect with your deep why to reaffirm why it’s a worthwhile change to make.
Step 2: Schedule Your Self Care Routine
Covey talks about Quadrant 2, which are things that are important but not urgent, self care being one of them. I’m sure you can agree on the importance of self care and the value it can bring your life. But you can also probably relate to the fact that the busyness of life and your work can often get in your way.
For so many people seemingly urgent things will bump the important ones… all… the … time! Just think about your efforts in weight loss or establishing an exercise routine. Sometimes urgencies and sometimes just excuses. Either way important gets bumped!
DO THIS: Once every week, before you schedule anything else, add the important elements of your self care routine FIRST into your calendar. At the same time set an alert or alarm for 15 minutes before it.
Then, and only then, go ahead and add other important things as well as more urgent appointments.
This step alone will help you remember to actually do it.
Step 3: Get Support To Be Successful With Your Self Care Routine
Have you ever talked yourself out of doing something you know is important to you? Ever rationalize it being okay to do so? We can be our own worst enemy. Well, if you really want to establish a self care routine so that it benefits you consistently moving forward… you must stop this NOW!
One effective way is to get the help of those close to you.
DO THIS: Ask someone close to partner with you to do some aspects of your self care routine. Things like exercise or healthy eating can become easier when someone is there to do it with you. They will share in the fun, celebrate in the success, be a reminder for when things are scheduled, and be there to push you or be pushed by you to stay on track.
DO THIS: Ask someone close to be an accountability buddy to remind you of your scheduled commitments when you seem to be avoiding or forgetting.
DO THIS: Share WHY you are doing what you are doing with those close to you so they understand and can support you to succeed while not inadvertently tripping you up by their actions, expectations, or demands of you or your time.
By creating time, scheduling your activities, and in getting support you are giving yourself your best chance of establishing a self care routine that will stick for the long haul.
If you’d like so additional assistance in getting established and in taking specific steps for self care then check out some of my past posts on a variety of related subjects.
Here’s to your health and well being!
Past posts on self care that will help you now
Prioritizing Self Care And It’s Importance
Here are many ways you’ll benefit when you prioritize self care.
Reclaim Health Now That You Have The Time – Here’s How
A good reminder of WHY to take care of yourself including 5 tips on how.
Calming Music For A Stressful Time – Every Little Thing Gonna Be Alright!
One of my “Tales From The Tropics” posts on reducing stress and emotional energy renewal. Plus a link to a song perfect for shifting stress in your world.
This post helps you check in with your excuses for not finding the time.
This strategy for cutting TV shows easily adds time to your day.
How you can do this and still get the information you need.
Here’s how you can minimize this and still stay connected, entertained, etc.
Thoughts on time wasting distractions at work and more!
Beginning with a degree in exercise science and kinesiology, Brent Haydey has evolved over thirty years as an entrepreneur; building four businesses, and as a health, executive, and life coach.