Okay so you learned what self care is and you have some ideas, maybe you even picked one or two to try, but then it stopped there. Life got busy again, your motivation disappeared, and you are back at ground zero (or negative twenty!). Well good news, here are the ways you can practice self care consistently.

Start small, I didn’t look at this as if I have to overhaul my whole life. When you take small baby steps every day that is where you succeed. You can start by asking yourself what your body needs for lunch that day and ordering some veggies instead of fries. It could be as small as I don’t feel like washing my face at the end of the day, but I know my skin deserves it. Showing up for yourself in small ways gives you a launch point to start caring for yourself in big ways.

Pick one or two things you love to do. Give yourself a month of doing just those 1-2 things every day. Start with something you can easily add into your daily routine. Do not start by creating a whole new routine. Some great examples are adding in flossing when you are brushing your teeth. Making your bed right as you get up. Maybe it is adding some veggies to each meal you eat.

After your first month reexamine where you are. Did you successful adopt the new self care activity? Were you nice to yourself the days you didn’t? What was stopping you from achieving your goal? Building your awareness around your habits and patterns will bring clarity into your life. Instead of just getting frustrated with yourself, you can examine your behaviors with curiosity instead of judgment.

If there is a habit you just can’t seem to change, take your power back from it. I remember for the longest time I would oversleep. Every morning I would try to wake up, go back to sleep, and then beat myself up over it for the rest of the morning. I would make excuses for myself. It was just too hard, my bed was too comfy, I am always tired. In reality, I was choosing to sleep in. I was choosing to turn off my alarm and climb back into bed. I was choosing to beat myself up for it. Once I started changing my narrative in my head, I was able to gain control of the situation.

The best part about consistently showing up for yourself through self care is you start to feel more empowered. You get excited about how you are feeling, and you start to acknowledge that change is possible. It is also important to make sure you’re why feels good for doing something. Finding out your true why is what will motivate you when the glamor wears off and you don’t want to do the activity. So ask yourself why do I want to add that self care activity into your routine? Then ask yourself why 5 more times (or until you find an answer that feels important to you). Once you know your why, write it down. Place it on your mirror. Repeat it to yourself every time you have resistance.

Self care is a lifetime practice. Starting out can seem overwhelming, but there are already areas of your life where you are taking care of yourself. Celebrate that! Always remember you are fabulous, and you are doing the best you can with the tools you have. Appreciate yourself, and be kind to yourself, because those are extremely important to your self care.

XO,

Ellie Curry