My Self-Care Habits

I have by no means mastered the idea of “self-care”. But it has been a heavy focus in my life for the last few years. I think I’ve learned some things worth sharing! What even is self-care anyway?

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is defined by the NIH as “taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health”. And I think that sums it up super well.

Self-care is about being intentional for yourself! I’ve talked a lot about intentionality here in “Growing Intentional Relationships” and “Living Intentionally“. But now I wanna focus on intentionality with yourself! We are all so busy and I get that. It is super easy to say that you don’t have time for self-care or make up any other excuse. But even the smallest self-care habits have the power to transform your life. So I encourage you to make self-care a priority in your life. How?

I am going to share some of my specific self-care habits with you. Some that I might say that I have mastered and some that I am definitely still working on.

Morning Self-Care Habits:

Spending time with God first thing in the morning:

This can look different every day. The most common ways I like to spend time with God when I wake up include, writing in my prayer journal, doing a devotional, or simply reading my Bible. Prioritizing prayer has been something on my heart recently so my prayer journal is actually a new thing for me. I always pray when I wake up. But sometimes I am still half asleep when I am praying I’m not even 100% sure what I am saying to God lol. So in order to be more intentional I decided to start a prayer journal which has really helped!

My Morning “Cocktail”:

This is not at all a cocktail I’ve just given it this name LOL. But every morning I have creatine, armra, and electrolyte powder mixed with water! Electrolytes are meant to regulate nerve and muscle function, hydrate the body, balance blood acidity and pressure, and help rebuild damaged tissue. Armra is meant to strengthen your gut barrier, help inflammation, and speed up metabolism. Creatine is meant to improve exercise performance, help recovery, and increase muscle mass. These are just some supplements that I found useful to incorporate into my daily routine!

Get Moving!

I find that the best way to start my day is to force myself to be active right away. I find that I am most awake after I exercise. For me, this usually is a morning walk outside, a cycle class, or an early lifting session. Sometimes it can be hard to get out of bed and work out but I definitely see a difference in my mood and energy when I do this first thing in the morning.

Good Breakfast!

This is something I am still working on because I am not one to have a huge appetite in the morning but it is SO important to fuel your body in the morning. It sets you up for the rest of the day and kick-starts your digestive system. Especially when trying to prioritize protein intake, having a good breakfast is essential! I am a big egg girl so my breakfast pretty much always incorporates some form of eggs.

Night Self Care Habits:

Skincare Routine:

This is something I have always been kind of off and on with but it is something I am actively trying to prioritize. I am no skincare guru so I don’t know if I should be giving out any recommendations. But I think it is important to do some research based on your own skin type and skin goals and find a good routine that works for you. Not only is it good for your skin but it’s such a good way to wind down at night before bed and get you in that routine of rest after a long day.

Reading/No screens:

This is one of those habits that I quite frankly suck at recently. But after I do my skincare I usually wind down with some quiet time. Doing a devotional or reading my Bible. Then, when I get in bed I usually have trouble unplugging and spend time trying to be productive on my computer. But this is not good lol. I am actively trying to make a no-screen rule for myself once I get into bed. Reading is something I would really like to prioritize during this time. I love reading but I often struggle to fit it into my schedule so reading before bed is a great way to prioritize that! I usually only get in one chapter because my eyes start closing.

Weekly Self-Care:

Weekly Reset:

I like to take some time during the weekend to gather my thoughts, plans, and goals each week. This can look different each week but it usually includes some form of grocery shopping for the week, cleaning my space, goal setting, and planning. Using Notion for this is essential!

Meal Planning:

I am not going to pretend that I do this… but I want to. My schedule is always very up in the air so I wouldn’t want to make a super strict one. But I plan to start making some sort of a guide on what I plan to eat each day in order to make sure I am getting all the nutrients my body needs daily!

Taking a Break:

This is something I am trying to prioritize because I LOVE being busy and I often fill my schedule with a million things. But as I plan for my week I have been trying to incorporate free time, a time where I don’t try to be productive or hang out with anyone. A time when I literally sit down to watch a TV show, take a nap, watch YouTube, or play the ukelele. Silly things that really do help me to relax and that I often forget to make time for.

Self-care can look different for anyone. At the end of the day, what works for me may not work for you. What matters is taking the time to be intentional in making time for the things that fill you up.

-xoxo, jenny <3