5 WAYS TO SCHEDULE SELF-CARE

Weezie Towel c/o

Well, friends. As time passes we are all adjusting, but things are still hard! Even though a lot of us are spending most of our time at home, it’s really hard to find that time for self-care. I find that the cabin fever or, as we lovingly refer to it as, quarantine, can muster up feelings of uncertainty, especially about how we look and feel. I find that the secret to staying in a balanced mindset where I don’t knit pick my physical appearance, is scheduling that time time for self-care! I find that if I don’t schedule it, I tend to forget to do it (which is a funny concept). To me, self-care is when I take some alone time to center my body and mind without social media distraction. But it can also be time with a girlfriend. With all the time spent away from one another, friendship time is good for the soul. If it isn’t with a friend, self-care is time to stretch, read, reflect and listen to something soothing or empowering. I also find that if I just block out time for self-care, sometimes I don’t know what to do with it! SCHEDULE TIME FOR YOURSELF! YOU NEED IT! Here are my 5 go-to ways to schedule self-care during the pandemic:

1. PUT A TWO HOUR BLOCK ON YOUR GOOGLE CALENDAR TO RELAX OUTSIDE 

I like to get outside, take my Weezie towel, and make an afternoon of it in the grass. Getting outside can mean a lot of things, like exercise, walking to do errands, or relaxing. I find that the relaxing aspect is key for me. I lounge in the sun on my towel with a book and it feels like a mini-vacation. Two hours is the perfect amount of time to be without your phone. If you don’t have an outdoor space, ask a friend if you can park it in their yard or head to your local park in a safe, distant area. P.S. Weezie has the best towels ever, and I find that having a comfy, quality one makes a difference!

2. PLAN A HEALTHY & ALCOHOL-FREE, SOCIALLY DISTANT DINNER WITH A GIRLFRIEND

Although wine is delicious, alcohol can perpetuate feelings of anxiety and dehydrate us. Why not cook or a order something really healthy and good for our bodies and rehydrate together?! I recently did this with a girlfriend where we had lemon water and ordered in, sat on the patio and just caught up on life. Human interaction is really important, and even though living in the digital age allows us to stay in touch, there is nothing like being with your friends. My soul felt full and I felt more normal! Put it on your calendars and send an e-vite. 

3. SET YOUR WAKE-UP ALARM AN HOUR EARLY AND GO ON A WALK TO START YOUR DAY

 Sometimes, I will tell myself “I’m going to go on a nice long walk today!”. And it never happens. But when I set a morning alarm on my phone with a label, I am more inclined to get out of bed early. I am also more inclined to go on the walk because I am not yet tired from the day! Moving and breathing really help with my mindset. Releasing the endorphins helps decrease stress, too. Just set your alarm early, and do it! 

4. CREATE AN EVENING BEDTIME RITUAL 

This is my number one suggestion that has helped me stay sane during the pandemic. I have an evening ritual! Every night, I do my full skincare regime before bed. I put on my bedside essential oils and unwind. From there, I read my Bible, devotional and write in my prayer journal. I also have shows that I only watch in the evenings that are really just a mindless escape (hello TLC and Bravo!). I limit it to a couple episodes so I am not up all night and can get some rest!  More importantly, the time to reflect in my journal is a release and let’s me get a good night sleep.

5. DON’T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF 

This isn’t really a way to “schedule” but more a way to “practice”. Sometimes, I am hard on myself if I don’t do the above, and it only preptuates my stress and increases my need for self-care! Don’t be hard on yourself. This is a pandemic. If you don’t go on your daily walk, go easy on yourself and just head out the next day. If you needed sleep that night more than you needed your ritual, that is OKAY. Giving myself more grace has allowed me to truly be less stressed and more at peace with myself. We’re human, the world is really weird right now, and we’re doing the best we can. As long as you enter each day with an open mind and heart, that’s all that really matters.