The way I feel about this blog is the way a lot of people feel about self-care. “I meant to start this a long time ago… this is way overdue… once I have some free time, I’ll get started on it… this is something I want to do but for some reason I just can’t get myself to start it”. My response to all of these thoughts is: it’s always better late than never to start developing a self-care routine.
It was 3 months ago that I wrote a blog on my journey through self-care and self-reflection that brought me to the decision of returning to full-time training. In writing about my journey, I had promised to write a separate blog on how I developed a self-care routine. This blog is long overdue, but just like taking care of yourself, it’s better late than never.
If the lockdown from the pandemic gave us one thing, it was time with ourselves.
Time to reflect on how we were going about our days and treating our mind and body. My insight on this reflection was that I could be a lot better at taking care of myself. I was motivated to make a change to better myself and to better my training.
The first step to making a change is awareness.
Before you dive into self-help books and 30-day yoga challenges to become the new and improved you, take some time to reflect on how you currently treat your mind and body and what changes you think would have the most benefit. Don’t let a book, blog, or video tell you what you need to focus on because everybody is different.
Self-care can be anything from improving your sleep health, eating habits, mindfulness, meditation, physical activity, the list goes on and on. The options are endless and that is a great thing. But it is also very overwhelming to get started. There are millions of examples of “just do this one thing a day” and before you know it your self-care routine is unrealistic and unattainable (been there). I am chronically bad at ‘over-doing’ things, so finding the right amount of self-care was a learning curve for me. I had to learn that trying to squeeze in a 20-minute meditation, an hour of yoga, a mindful walk, writing in a journal, and getting more sleep was doing the opposite of what I wanted. My self-care laundry list was too long, and it can be discouraging if you can’t sustain the standards you set out for yourself.
I recommend starting small and committing to a new habit/activity for long enough that you can notice a change. With that being said, finding the right routine is a trial and error process. Don’t get married to an activity if it isn’t working for you. Maybe you have done a lot of research on the benefits of meditation but when you put it into practice, it just doesn’t resonate with you. Set it aside and try something new. You can always come back to it later.
The mind and the body work together and when we don’t take care of both, we can run into problems. My lifestyle currently operates around a heavy load of physical activity and energy demand every day. Recovery has become one of the most important elements of my training and daily routine. I practice yoga every day to improve my flexibility and prevent injuries. This practice doubles as a mental exercise where I can wind down and focus on my breath. A lot of physical self-care activities inherently have mental benefits.
It is important to include activities that solely benefit your mind/mental health. Options like downloading a guided mediation app (like Headspace, 10% Happier, or MyLife) are great options. You can also think outside the box from what seems traditional – activities like reading, cooking, painting, anything really that sparks joy for you qualifies as self-care. The key is making that activity part of your daily or weekly routine.
Simple works. Simple is realistic and attainable.
Most of this stuff sounds obvious and simple. I think when things sound so simple, people are less inclined to make a change. We are motivated to make a change when the media shares ground-breaking science that will change your life forever! We live in a clickbait world and we rarely see results from it. Think about it, imagine if you got just one-hour extra sleep every night for an entire month! Sleep hygiene is one of the easiest things to improve and has significant health benefits but instead everyone is obsessing about their carb counts on the keto diet (been there too). Simple works. Simple is realistic and attainable. Simple can be that extra hour of sleep, or reading before bed, or spending more time outdoors. Whatever it is that you determine will improve your health is the right answer.
Finding the right routine is a process. So is gaining momentum.
I started a running regimen in March, and it took me over 3 months before I started to feel really good about it. I also incorporated 5 hours of yoga into my week every week since the spring. Both of these activities have become major tools that I rely heavily on for performance and well-being. I put a lot of trust into my process knowing that sustainable results don’t happen quickly. One of the best things about committing to a long process is that it becomes embedded in your routine. I can reflect on when I was a youth and hated to wash my face. Once I developed a skin care routine and established value in it, I could never go to bed without completing that routine!
Ultimately, you can’t expect to be your best self if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Your physical and mental health, relationships, and success all stem from a solid foundation. Each individual is on their own journey of discovering what grounds AND elevates them. Experiment with what works for you & trust the process!
Notes:
Although I said above not to blindly dive into self-help books and 30-day yoga challenges… here are a few that gave me momentum and direction for self-care
10% Happier – Dan Harris
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck – Mark Manson
The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg
Atomic Habits – James Clear
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