Self-care routine should be easy. Let’s face it: as moms, we do not have the time for elaborate procedures and generous chunks of time to indulge in relaxation techniques. Here is a list of enjoyable things I do to relax and refresh divided into daily, weekly and monthly activities that I find pleasure in.
A daily breather
I try to do one short, pleasurable activity every day to recharge. The activity is fairly short, anywhere from fifteen minutes to two hours, depending on my level of busyness on the day.
For the body:
- I take a walk: I have always loved walking. It calms me down and energizes me. I sometimes talk on the phone with friends or listen to music and walk really quickly to make my heart work faster. After that, I drink a lot of water.
- I go to a nursery and walk around plants and flowers in the summer, spring and fall. In the wintertime, I browse Christmas decorations.
- I exercise. It is impossible to be blue, when you move, so whenever I feel down, I exercise. Even half-an-hour of vigorous exercise does the job of lifting my mood.
- I go window shopping, or real shopping for an hour. Setting a time limit helps me not to get too swept away with shopping madness.
- I cook something easy and delicious or bake a cake.
For the spirit:
- I read a good book and fall asleep on the couch.
- I watch my favourite show on Netflix, usually before going to bed.
- I visit a flower shop and look at beautiful bouquets and smell flowers.
- I talk on the phone with friends. There is nothing more heart-warming to me than yapping away with people close to my heart.
- Meditate: I have this great app; Hello Mind; that just takes off all the stress of my day away in 20 minutes. I lie down on my back, put the headset on and listen to the calming voice taking me to the deepest recesses of my mind. I almost always fall asleep in the process, so it is also a great way to control my insomnia. Hello Mind comes highly recommended.
- I journal: I write down all the things I have accomplished when I need self-praise. When I forget how great my life is, I write down all the things I am grateful for. When I feel unmotivated, I craft my goals.
- I sit down in a comfortable armchair, drink spiced coffee with cream or tea with honey, lemon and rum and think. I let my mind wonder but only to the uplifting parts of life.
- I listen to an audio book. I usually rent the audio books from the library for free. No need to spend money; audio books are actually quite expensive.
Weekly outing or half a day off
It may not be always possible to go out every day, even though that would be ideal. That is why I make it a weekly thing to go out for longer. The outing can be connected with people or be solely me time. It is totally up to me and depends only on what I am in the mood for. Here are some of the things I do:
- I go out for coffee or a meal with friends or with my daughter. Sharing a meal and catching up on the recent ups and downs in our lives is a real pick-me-up.
- I go out for drinks, or invite people over.
- I have a beauty night. I do my nails, go for a facial, a massage or to the hairdresser’s. Sometimes, I just dress up, make up and go to the movies.
- I go to Indigo and read everything the interests me for a few hours and make notes. I jot down every idea that comes to my mind.
- I do something artistic: I make and edit photos, decorate the house, draw a picture.
- I visit a furniture store and think about how to make my house more beautiful.
- I stay in bed and watch feel-good movies all evening. My favourite are: The Holiday, The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Age of Adaline.
- I visit a museum. ALONE.
Monthly Bliss
Monthly self-care routine requires a bit of planning, but the good thing is that I have the whole month to do it. Here is the list of my favourite monthly activities to look forward to every month.
- I take a trip. It may be a one-day or two-day trip. I sometimes choose a place and stay at a hotel or Airbnb for the weekend. I visit the place, have good dinner, drink wine, laugh and have fun.
- I take a road trip. It is a great opportunity to catch up with your loved ones while being ‘trapped’ in a small car. You just have to talk.
- I go hiking. I absolutely LOVE hiking. It is great for my body and for my spirit. I always say that I am like a dog… If I don’t walk or run, I am unhappy. I like visiting Canada’s many beautiful parks with their great hiking trails.
- I go to the beach and soak up the sun. It is fun to be outside and my body always thanks me for getting a bit of colour and much needed vitamin D.
- I spend a day in the backyard. I trim bushes, I barbecue, I sip sangria. Everything to the sound of reggae.
I don’t know about you, but I learned to treat my self-care routine seriously, because it keeps me away from burnout.
How about you? Do you have a self-care routine? If not, are you preparing to start one?
