Spring Cleaning Your Daily Schedule to Make Time for Self-Care
It is no secret that we’ve all had a very stressful year. You name it. It happened in 2020, and 2021 is starting off almost as stressful! Alright, let’s take a breath, and move into the change and fresh start that spring offers us. It’s spring cleaning time, and while you’re throwing out all the old stuff or cleaning up your home and office, consider spring cleaning your schedule to make more time for self-care. I know when you hear self-care, you’re probably thinking about some elaborate spa day or trip to the Bahamas, but every day self-care is about recognizing that we all need a little more rest and a little less stress. In this blog, I’ll talk about some quick tips to declutter your schedule and make room for simple self-care that’s all about carving out time for rejuvenation this spring.
Declutter Your Day
We all have habitual behaviors that eat into our productivity and time for ourselves and our loved ones. Track your daily activities for a week. At the end of the week, review the list and think about what things you can let go of, delegate to others, or spend less time on. Remember, when you declutter, the goal should be to spend time resting and rejuvenating. That could mean more time with family and friends or making space for some down time on your own. Now, make a plan to remove those time-suck items from your to-do list, and redirect your energy toward something you WANT to do.
Here’s the fun part. Give it a month. Now, track your daily activities again. Did your changes stick? If not, cut yourself a little slack. Habits are hard to break! Give it another shot. If you have kept up with your decluttered schedule, do you suddenly notice even more things you do in a day that can go? As we start reexamining our habits, it’s often surprising how much room we can find in our days for things we like to do and more relaxation.
Quick Self-Care Activities – You Should Have on Your Calendar
If you can take an extra twenty minutes to scroll through Instagram before your meeting, you can fit self-care into every day – and you SHOULD schedule it. We’re all bad about remembering to prioritize our own needs, but when you make self-care a scheduled event, just like a meeting or project deadline, you’re much more likely to do it. So, find 30 minutes (or less – 5 or 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes) in your schedule for self-care every day. Then, add one of these quick self-care activities into your schedule:
Meditate – you don’t need to sign up with a specialist to learn how to meditate. It’s all about realigning your focus. Just take some deep breaths, clear your mind, and if you can’t clear your mind, just observe your thoughts as they come and approach them from a place of curiosity. Do this while breathing in and out. You can do 5-5-5 breathing. In for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, out for 5 seconds. Let yourself exist without any of the other junk that’s going to come your way today.
Use fun face masks – we’ve all been walking around with masks on our faces for more than a year, and you’re probably sick of it. When you get home from a long day, swap out your protective mask for a fun moisturizing or soothing face mask. You can buy face masks by the dozen for less than $20, and just giving yourself this little extra pampering goes a long way.
Journal – take five minutes to check in with yourself. How you’re feeling. What you’re doing. Some people find it beneficial to record this daily check in by keeping a written journal or diary. You can also just spend some time thinking through your day to evaluate your thoughts and feelings and process any stress that’s sticking around.
Re-create your commute – many of us are still staying home and staying safe right now, which is great. The daily commute may not be something you miss, but actually, commuting to and from work can be a great way to focus for the day and relax after a long day. If you’re working from home, re-create your commute (I know!). Before you sit down to your daily tasks, take a few minutes for yourself. Listen to your favorite podcast or a good audiobook. Take a walk around your house (or block if it’s safe). Just give yourself some time to focus or rest.
Celebrate Yourself
Having trouble getting into the daily self-care mindset? Maybe making time for self-care once a week would work better for you. What does your weekly self-celebration look like?
Feeling a little too single? Don’t wait around for someone to ask you out. Take yourself out on your dream date. Or create your dream date at home if you’re not ready to venture out. Just make it special because you deserve the best.
Feeling a lot of self-doubt? Stop telling those self-deprecating jokes and get out your pen and paper. Write yourself a love letter detailing all the ways you are a bad ass world conqueror. Next time you’re feeling low, pull out your letter and read it.
Feeling exhausted? Curl up with a good book and escape for a few hours. Soak in a bubble bath with a nice glass of wine or cup of tea. Give yourself time “off” from all the responsibilities and stressors you juggle every week.
Treat Yourself
Did you have a hard month or know you have a stressful project coming up? Do something extra special to treat yourself and improve your mood. Let’s not get carried away with treating ourselves, but once a month or once a quarter, you deserve a reward. It may seem frivolous, but even if it’s just finally trying a meal at that new restaurant that’s a little too fancy, you’ll be surprised how nice it feels to be a little luxurious from time to time.
Invest in Yourself
All of these suggestions are about making time for yourself and giving yourself permission to prioritize self-care. Let’s be real – we’re all bad at this. We put everyone else first and feel guilty for taking five minutes to ourselves. I get it. If you need a little extra encouragement and regular reminders about just how awesome you are, maybe it’s time to schedule a therapy session with me. Therapy is a great form of self-care. Regular sessions ensure you’ll make time to think about your needs and goals. You’ll have my support as you start decluttering, and most importantly, you’ll hear me telling you how badass you are and how much you deserve a fabulous life. Reach out when you’re ready. I can’t wait to hear from you.
