How to fit all your self-care practices into your day

Have you ever wondered how you’re supposed to get it all in? (work, family, nutrition, exercise, meditation, journaling, pets, community, etc, etc, etc)

Sometimes, it can feel like self-care is just a whole other list of stuff to add to your already-packed day. 

When I first started paying attention to this thing called self-care, it took me around 90 minutes to do my routine in the morning. My kids were little at the time and they woke up early, so I decided to get up even earlier. That meant I had to get up at 5:00am to get it all in. My son, Oakley, had some sort of 6th sense, though, and he would hear me sneaking downstairs. 

That meant that many mornings I would be trying to meditate while Oakley would nestle in my lap and stroke my eyebrows, sucking away on his thumb. (He had this weird but endearing thing for eyebrows and brush cuts.)

Then I would try to do some yoga and he would crawl all over me while I attempted to breathe deeply, be patient and get the most out of downward dog. I tried to feel like I was doing something good for myself, but I also just kind of felt like a playground.

After several months of that, I switched all my self-care practices to the evening. That meant that after a long day, I still had an hour plus of stuff to do to “take care of myself”. Whew. It didn’t feel all that sustainable either.

Over the next few years, I tried all sorts of approaches to self-care, with occasional success. Some of my practices evolved from “have-to’s” to “want-to’s”, which felt totally miraculous. Then, two years ago, I made a super discovery that’s made self-care feel like a breeze. The new approach is even, dare I say it - fun!

I speak with so many clients and friends who say that they know self-care is good for them and important for their well-being, but it also feels like a lot of work. And that means that they’re kind of working all the time; at the gym, on meals, at work and then, even on self-care. 

How exhausting. With my new approach to self-care, I’ve experienced the opposite, and so have the clients I’ve shared it with. 

After all, self-care is supposed to leave you feeling invigorated, refreshed, energetic and filled with inner peace, right? You don’t want it to feel like a whole extra pile of stuff that you have to squeeze into your already jam-packed schedule.

I’ll share some of the key points with you here, and if you want to go deeper and get more of a workshop experience, there’s a Masterclass coming up on Oct 15th. Details are at this link.

Key Points for Fitting All Your Self-Care Practices into your Day (with ease!)

• If you don’t feel like you have self-care all figured out, no worries! It’s only been around since the 1950s, so it’s totally a work in progress. (aka be gentle with yourself)
• There are both external and internal kinds of self-care and it’s valuable to determine what you’re doing for each kind.
• Self-care is personal. You need to figure out what fills you up and what doesn’t.
• Self-care can be confused with indulgence and luxury. That can be part of it, but there’s so much more to self-care than facials and fancy oils.
• It’s valuable to move from routine to ritual in your approach to self-care.
• Creating a self-care menu is the secret to not feeling overwhelmed.
• You’ll need to practice boundaries as part of your self-care.
• What we’re really working with when we take a conscious approach to self-care is cultivating harmony between our masculine and feminine energies.
• In order for self-care to be sustainable and effective, it needs to have freedom, creativity, devotion and self-love.

There’s a lot to this self-care thing! But once you know and implement it, self-care becomes totally doable and not just a bunch of extra to-do’s.

If you would like to go through a step-by-step process of getting a handle on your self-care, you’re invited to this month’s Masterclass: How to fit all your self-care practices into your day (without quitting your job and giving away your children). 

In the 90 minute live online workshop, you’ll learn:

>how to make self-care feel nourishing and nurturing rather than just extra items on your to-do list

>how to be less stressed and more gentle with yourself 

>how to get clarity on your (possibly unrealistic) expectations for yourself

>what’s going to best serve you when it comes to self-care and what you can let go of so that you’re making the most impact with your time

>what to do with the guilt of putting yourself first

>a strategic approach for your self-care mindset, along with practical how-to’s for using your time effectively

>how to actually benefit from your self-care practices (so you feel energized, peaceful and content thanks to your efforts)

You’ll leave the Masterclass with:

>a clear system

>a better understanding of what self-care is and what kind of self-care will best serve you

>a sense of clarity

>more energy

>confidence that you can master this self-care thing

There’s a sliding scale to make the class accessible and if you can’t make it live, you get forever access to the recording. 

If you’re done with feeling overwhelmed and bogged down by your self-care, join us for this fun and practical workshop. We’ll dance, we’ll laugh, we’ll eat bananas. (That is, if you want to eat bananas, go for it. They’re not technically included. It’s BYOB.)

Whether you join us or not, do take some time to consider your self-care. Are your expectations realistic? Do you have a blend of external and internal practices? Do you have a plan for days that include surprises and unexpected events? Do you practice self-care that goes beyond luxurious treats? Do you know what to do with the guilt that can show up when you implement ‘me time’?

Take some time to reflect on those questions, or join the Masterclass where you’ll be guided through the process of self-care discovery so you don’t have to do it yourself.

With sustainable love and refreshing courage,

Christina

Creator of Courageous Self-Care

Masterclass Facilitator Extraordinaire :)

Grateful to now meditate without rambunctious children in her lap