Sometimes we get so busy with all of the day to day tasks that the last person we take care of…is ourselves. When you fly and the flight attendants are going over the safety instructions, they tell you to put on your own oxygen mask first before helping others; it’s the perfect example. You can’t be helpful to others if you are so burnt out that you can’t take care of yourself. Take some time, schedule it on your calendar like any other appointment if you have to, each week to give yourself what you need to be your best self.

What is Self Care?

Self care is anything we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although it’s often thought of as something we do for ourselves, self care can and should also be used to nurture our relationships with others.

Self Care Ideas

Self care is important because it helps us to stay healthy both physically and mentally. When we take care of ourselves, we are better able to take care of others and meet the demands of our everyday lives. There are many different self care ideas, but some of the most common are included below.

Eat a Healthy Diet

This means eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Try your best to limit sugary, fatty, or processed foods. Eating a healthy diet helps your body perform and feel its best. Give your body the fuel it needs!

Get Enough Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. It can also help to reduce stress and anxiety. If you don’t like to exercise, try going on walks and getting outside. You may actually find that you enjoy walking and getting fresh air! If you need something short and sweet, the Peloton app has a wide variety of different short workouts to stream even if you don’t have a bike.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Sleep is important for our physical and mental wellbeing. When we don’t get enough sleep, we are more likely to feel stressed and anxious. If you start getting enough sleep, you will start to see a positive change in yourself.

Take Breaks

When we feel overwhelmed or stressed, it can be helpful to take a break from whatever we are doing. This could mean taking a few minutes to yourself during a busy day or taking a vacation from work or school. Sometimes you don’t even know how big of a break you need until you take one.

Spend Time with Loved Ones

Spending time with people who make us feel good can help to reduce stress and improve our mood. On the same token, it’s important to avoid people that stress you out and make things harder for you. Sometimes the best self care you can give yourself is surrounding yourself with positive people that bring joy to your life!

Do Something You Enjoy

Doing things that make us happy can help us to relax and feel more positive. This could include activities such as reading, listening to music, or taking a nature walk. Maybe it’s making a delicious latte and enjoying some quiet time. If you don’t have any activities that you enjoy, it’s okay to seek out new activities and experiences to see what you enjoy doing. There are free self care ideas out there! 

Practice Relaxation Techniques

There are many different relaxation techniques that can help to reduce stress and promote feelings of calm. Some common techniques include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization. The Calm app has some guided meditations for different situations and is really helpful for beginners to use in practicing mindfulness.

Pamper Yourself

Whether it’s relaxing in a bath or getting a pedicure, take some time to take care of you. If there’s something that you enjoy doing and you continuously put it off, now is the time to do it even if it’s just for an hour. A little bit of time to recharge and relax can do wonders for our mental health.

Remove Negativity

If there are people you are always comparing yourself to or others that are constantly negative, remove them from your life (or at least limit your interactions as much as possible). These things can really weigh on us and make us feel miserable. You don’t need that in your life. Make more space for people who lift you up, support you, and bring positivity to your life.

Seek Professional Help  

If we are struggling to cope with stress or anxiety, it can be helpful to seek professional help. A therapist can provide support and guidance to help us manage our symptoms. Sometimes the best self care you can give yourself is seeing a therapist! This is one of my favorite self care ideas for mental health. 

Now that you know what self care is and what you can do to receive it, you should put some of these ideas into action. The next time you’re feeling stressed or overworked, consider some of these self care ideas to recharge your batteries and feel rejuvenated. Self care can look different for everyone, so make sure to take the time to figure out what works best for you.

With the New Year just around the corner, it’s time to start planning for 2023. Setting goals and making plans is essential for achieving success in the new year, so why not make things easier on yourself? A goal planner can help you stay organized and motivated to achieve your goals. Let’s take a look at why a goal planner is so beneficial. Cheers to learning about goal setting in the New Year! 

What is a Goal Planner?

A goal planner is a tool that helps you organize and track your goals for the new year. It typically consists of templates for setting goals, planning out timelines, tracking progress, and more. You’ll be able to view your progress throughout the year to make sure you’re staying on track to meet your goals.

Why is it Important to Use a Goal Planner?

There are many benefits to using a goal planner in the new year. First, it can help you stay focused and motivated to achieve your goals. With a structured plan in place, you can break your goals down into more manageable steps, rather than feeling overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done. You’ll be able to plan out your action steps in one place and check in with yourself each month.

Setting Goals & Breaking Them Down into Smaller Steps

The first step to accomplishing any goal is setting one in the first place! A goal planner is great for this because it provides an easy-to-use format that allows you to clearly define your goals and break them down into smaller steps. Be sure that you are setting specific goals that can be measured, otherwise, you really won’t be able to track your progress. Using a goal planner worksheet makes it easier to stay focused on what needs to be done, and it helps you stay motivated as you move closer and closer towards crushing your goals!

Tracking Progress & Making Adjustments

A goal planner also provides an easy way to keep track of your progress. By tracking progress over time, you can identify areas where adjustments need to be made or where any additional focus should be placed. This allows you to reset your goals if needed and make a pivot so that they remain realistic and achievable.

Saving Time & Reducing Stress

A goal planner saves time because it eliminates the need to manually track progress or constantly reset goals due to shifting priorities or changing circumstances. Life happens and things change. Using a planner to keep track of your goals reduces stress by taking away some of the burden of having to remember when or what needs to be done next. Plus, with everything already laid out in front of you, there’s less room for error or getting off-track from your plans!

Helping You Stick to A Plan with Accountability

In addition to all of these benefits, a goal planner is also great for staying accountable. Whether you’re using your planner with a friend or on your own, it can help keep you committed and motivated to achieve your goals. Schedule check-ins either monthly or quarterly to make sure you are moving in the right direction.

What’s included in this Goal Planner?

• 2023 Bucket List
• Hello, New Year (a sheet to help you plan)
• Daily Goals
• Monthly Goals
• Quarterly Goals
• Habit Master List
• Goal Master List
• Project Planning Sheet
• Year in Review Questions
• Bright Spots for Each Month

A goal planner can make all the difference when trying to achieve something big! It helps break down complex tasks into smaller steps, tracks progress over time, and saves time by reducing manual tracking efforts, all of which result in reduced stress levels so that you can focus more energy on reaching those goals!