Last week, my girlfriends and I gathered for our monthly online women’s group.
As we talked about our current struggles, the topic of self-care (or lack thereof) emerged. And while, due to the different life situations we’re in, we all struggled with individual issues, we found something we have in common:
While we may need something on a certain day to feel more balanced and present, it may be something completely different on another day.
Additionally, we noticed that different self-care practices require different levels of effort and time. Being aware of that can help us choose which tool or practice we may pick each week, day, or moment.
While it may seem confusing to find out what you need, it doesn’t have to be. You can find the tools that work for you.
Here’s a simple 3-step approach that'll help you organize your self-care practices and tools.
Step 1:
To get you started, answer these questions in a journal or a fresh document:
What are some self-care practices I’ve been doing thus far that I want to continue in the future?
How often do I feel it’s necessary, and how often do I want to practice a formal self-care like meditation, journaling, guided practices, bodywork, breathing exercises, routine, or dedicated „me-time“?
How much time can I realistically dedicate to a formal and regular self-care practice, considering my daily obligations?
Step 2:
Write down this simple chart to organize the different practices you’ve tried already. You can write it in your journal or on your device:
| Practice | Use it when (I feel)… | Resource/link | Notes |
|---|
Here’s what you write into each column:
- Practice: Name the specific practice (e.g., body scan), exercise (e.g., yoga), or routine
- Use it when (I feel): In the practices and tools I suggest, I’ll typically mention when to use it, but you’re welcome to try out different scenarios, too. It may help to make your decision easier when you’re trying to figure out which practice to do in the future
- Resource/link: here you can note down the URL of the practice or where you can find it (tip: create a separate folder on your device for any downloadable content)
- Notes: anything else you want to add
Here’s an example of how such a list can look like:
| Practice | Use it when (I feel)... | Resource/link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
New Year meditation |
the need for a new beginning |
can be used all year long |
Step 3:
As you keep learning about self-care tools from me and others in the field, add whatever resonates to the list.
One: It makes the practices easily accessible. When we’re in a state of stress, we want to have quick solutions at our hands instead of needing to search for them for a long time.
Two: It gives you the feeling of self-efficacy, meaning you know that you have tools available for different situations of stress or overwhelm.
And if you want to go into more detail around your specific needs when it comes to self-care, contact me for a free exploration call.
