In the hustle and bustle of daily life, taking intentional steps to care for your well-being is crucial. Creating a personalized self-care plan allows you to tailor your approach to what truly nurtures your mind, body, and soul. In this guide, we’ll explore how to craft a self-care plan that resonates with your unique needs and lifestyle.

But first, decide how much time you’re willing to spend per day. Even if it’s 15 minutes – that’s a good place to start! It’s what I did, and I fell so in love with the process, that every week, I added one small thing to my routine. Before I knew it, my daily schedule looked something like this:

My Daily Self Care Focused Routine

• 6:00 Wake up.
• 6:00-8:00 Meditation (15 min), leisurely coffee while reading (however long), walk (30-45 min; sometimes I use intervals), skin care routine, apply make up, fix hair and get ready for the day (30 min), meditation and affirmations (15-20 min).
• 8:00-10:00 Work time.
• 10:00-10:15 Breakfast and visualizing.
• 10:15-12:00 Work time.
• 12:00-12:30 Lunch.
• 12:30-2:00 Strength training followed by a protein shake when I get home.
• 2:00-5:00 Work time.
• 5:00-6:00 Dinner prep and eat, then clean up.
• 6:00-8:00 Family time (TV, playing games, talking).
• 8:00-9:00 Bath time while listening to spa music and reading a novel 100% for fun.
• 9:00 Night time skin care routine, wind down, take my magnesium for a restful sleep.

Yes, I work from home, which makes this a LOT easier. But even if you work at a traditional job, there are tons of ways to bring self care into your daily routine. Bring your journal to work and write in it when you can take a break. One of my favorite tips for affirmations is to record myself reciting them, then listening to them with headphones 2-3 times in a day. These small, effective ways of incorporating self care can be done anytime, anywhere.

Self Care Sunday

Additionally, I use Sunday as my self care day. My routine is heavily focused on rest, prep for the week and grooming.

Nurturing self care ideas

I absolutely love to do a yin yoga video on Sundays. What an amazing way to give your body the care and pampering it needs. If you’re not familiar with yin yoga – let me tell you – it’s amazing. There are blankets and pillows involved, lots of deep cleansing breaths, and absolutely no difficult poses to hold. In yin yoga the focus is on the release of mind-body tension and bringing the nervous system into a state of healing. It’s all about feeling good. I just find a video on YouTube.

I enjoy including a leisurely walk in nature, if the weather cooperates.

For me, I realized that meal planning, grocery shopping and then cooking was just too much to do in one day. About six months ago, I started splitting it up, which has been a game changer for me. I plan my meals on Friday, go grocery shopping on Saturday, and then prep a couple of meals on Sunday to get me off to a good start for the week.

I wash my sheets on Sunday. It makes Monday mornings just a bit nicer.

Grooming to Become “That Girl”

Sundays are my mani/pedi day. This kit is what I use [Selluvia link]. I find it really easy to give myself a manicure on Sunday while binge watching on Netflix. I shape my eyebrows (those suckers grow so fast!) and … ahem … remove any other facial hair.

I shower after my walk, use an exfoliator, and then apply self-tanner. I just feel like I look better with a slight tan. It makes such a difference. Once dry, I wear black leggings and a T-shirt while hanging around the house. After 4 hours, I rinse it off, apply moisturizer head to toe, and snuggle in for the afternoon wearing comfy soft clothes.

Assessing Your Needs:

Enough about me. Let’s figure out what your schedule looks like. The first step in creating your very own self-care plan is understanding your individual needs. Take a moment to reflect on different aspects of your life – physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. What about my routine resonated with you? What activities or practices bring you joy and relaxation?

Once you’ve identified your needs, it’s time to pinpoint specific self-care activities that resonate with you. These activities can range from mindfulness practices to physical exercises. Think about what makes you feel rejuvenated and relaxed. Incorporate elements that align with your passions and values. If you’re starting slow and planning to build onto your schedule – what’s going to be the low hanging fruit for you? Is it skincare? Walking? Journaling for 15 minutes a day?

If you don’t know where to start, think about your skin care routine. We’re talking 5-10 minutes each morning and evening, so it’s a great way to ease into self care.

Start Self-Care with Skin Care:

Caring for yourself definitely means caring for your skin! When I am consistent about my morning and evening skin care routine, my skin starts to show it. When I neglect it, my face starts to look dry, more fine lines and wrinkles appear, and my dark undereye circles become more noticeable. No thank you.

But, I will say that choosing a skin care can be overwhelming. There are sooooo many choices. First off, start with what you have and use it up. Then, find an expert who has skin similar to yours and begin to build your skin care routine. Here are my go to’s:

• Use this ultrasonic deep clean scrubber to exfoliate your skin.

• If you are 35+, use a retinol at night. Differin is the least expensive option with the most stable formulation of retinol. You may think it’s just for teens with acne, but no. Trust me, this will save you lots of $$.

• This cream is more pricey, but the difference in my skin is noticeable (and I usually can’t tell a difference). The before and afters are convincing as well.

Supporting Your Skin From Within

Have you tried gua sha? If not, then consider it.

Creams and proper care of your skin is important, but they can really only address the top layer of your skin – the epidermis. These two tools can affect the deeper layers.

While a lot of its benefits are a little far reaching, what it true is that used daily, it can move the lymph in your skin. Lymph is a water-based substance that we have throughout our bodies to remove waste, and it can accumulate in areas, like the lower jowls or cheeks. Applying the tool helps to move the lymph, making our faces look more toned and therefore, younger looking. I found this YouTube video and have been doing gua sha for a while. I do see a difference in my jawline.

Another idea if your skin is 35+ is to apply a microcurrent device. This works at a different layer of the skin (the muscle), compared to the gua sha tool (subcutaneous layer), so you might see an even bigger benefit if they’re used together. Microcurrent, when applied to the skin, forces the muscles in your face to contract (in a painless way), giving the appearance of a more toned look. Your skin is literally getting a workout while you’re hanging out on the couch. Adding this to your routine should take 10 minutes or less. This is one I like:

Nourishing Your Body:

Fueling your body with nutritious, nourishing foods and drinking plenty of water tells your body that you are practicing self care. But not everyone has the time to meal plan, meal prep, grocery shop and then prepare meals at the end of a long day. Sound familiar?

Eating right is self care at its finest. We all know we should eat better, but incorporating a healthy meal plan can feel like so much work! What I did was start adding recipes that I found on Pinterest and saving them to my personal board. Then, on Fridays, when I had to plan my meals, I’d go to Pinterest, search through the boards to find things I wanted to make for the week. I made sure that I always had enough for leftovers for lunch the next day, to cut down on my cooking time. This saved me so much time that I no longer spent hours scouring through my cookbooks, or going to the grocery store and trying to figure out what I was going to make without a list.

Embracing Mindful Practices for Enhanced Self Care:

Incorporating mindfulness practices into your self-care plan can have profound effects on your mental well-being. Whether it’s meditation, yoga, or journaling, these practices promote self-awareness and a sense of calm.

Spending just 7 minutes practicing your mindfulness can have a profound impact on the rest of your day. I practice meditation and affirmations daily. This practice can get you started.

I like to use meditation and affirmations together. First, I use meditation to connect to my breath. I feel light and weightless and as though I’m leaving all my stress behind. Then, once the meditation is finished, I either read my list of affirmations that I’ve jotted down, or I listen to the recording I mentioned above. It’s like a powerful mindfulness one-two punch.

Connecting with Nature For More Inner Peace:

Nature has a profound impact on mental wellness. Include outdoor activities in your self-care plan to experience the therapeutic benefits of the natural world.

It could be as simple as spending 15 minutes outside in the sun with your kids. Or it could be more involved, like going to a state or city park nearby and soaking in all the oxygen in the nature around you. Maybe it’s working in your garden – earthing, I think they call it. There is something so nurturing about getting your hands in the dirt, connecting to the bountifulness that is our planet.

Journaling for Your Emotional Health

Journaling has actually been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve mood and create a greater sense of well-being. Read more about that here.

Writing daily in a journal has also been shown to reduce anxiety and depressing. Pretty powerful stuff. I must admit, I struggle with journaling, but I am 100% convinced of its benefits. You can always type things out on your computer, even protect it with a password, but there’s something so nice about having a journal in your hands — makes the process more real, right? Here’s one I like.

Conclusion:

Creating a personalized self-care plan is an ongoing journey of self-discovery and self-love. By assessing your needs, identifying key activities, setting realistic goals, and embracing mindful practices, you can cultivate a plan that truly nurtures your well-being. Remember that self-care is a personal experience, and your plan should reflect what brings you joy, peace, and fulfillment.

As you embark on this journey, explore the links provided to discover products and resources that complement your self-care plan. Investing in your well-being is a gift to yourself that pays dividends in a happier, healthier life.