It’s no secret that I’m kind of a Self Care Queen.👑 I believe in the power of self care to keep us healthy…physically and mentally. I believe in the importance of practicing self care on a daily basis. I firmly believe that self care is a necessity, NOT a luxury. I have a FB page that I share self care tips and products on all the time!

But let me tell you, self care is a commitment.  There have been many times that someone says one version or another of this to me:

• I just don’t have time for self care.
• You have more free time than I do.
• I have other obligations.

“If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.”

I don’t know who originally said this quote, but it’s PROFOUND. When you are sick, you are forced to slow down. Whether it’s just to let your body recover OR it’s sitting in doctor offices/hospitals receiving treatments. And you do it! Because you have no choice, right?

Well, what if you gave that same time to your self care and wellness? What if you focused on PREVENTATIVE measures instead of fixing things after illness strikes?

Here’s the thing. You have to prioritize self care the same way that you prioritize other things in your life. You have to have discipline about practicing self care. You have to commit to your self care.

And then I usually hear something like this: “But that makes it work, not self care.”

Ummm…NO. Is going out to lunch with your besties work? No! But I bet you had to SCHEDULE that. I bet you had PRIORITIZE that over something else in your life. (And yes! Lunch with your bestie is absolutely self care!)

I practice a lot of self care. My skincare routine is self care morning and night. I practice yoga 5-6 days a week. I walk 5 days a week. I found an eating plan that works for me and try to stick to it. I also allow myself a treat every so often! I absolutely LOVE my morning coffee, and I make sure to enjoy that to the fullest. I drink my mushroom juice (mango lemonade!) every single day!

Do I always feel like doing these things??? Nope! There are some mornings that the last thing I want to do is go drag myself down the road. But I know that I will feel soooo much better once I do it! There has never been a day that I come in from a walk and say “I wish I hadn’t walked today.” I’m always grateful that I got myself out and moved my body! My skincare routine??? Heck back in my pre-self care days, it was water and wash cloth. It took me a looonnngggg time to get regular with my skincare routine! And now, it’s an easy habit…takes less than 2 minutes a day!

So let’s figure this out together. I need you to commit to ONE act of self care. Preferably it would be daily, but if you need it to be weekly, we can roll with that.

Now, figure out how you need to SCHEDULE that into your routine.

Here’s an example from my own life:

1. I want to work some weight training into my schedule
2. I know that my early mornings are already taken up with yoga/walking before the heat gets bad
3. I know that the rest of my morning is busy with other things
4. I can commit to 3o minutes in the afternoon Mon/Wed/Fri…say 2 pm…to get my weight training done
5. I already bought some adjustable hand held weights to start with
6. I have some YouTube videos that I can use for guidance
7. I’m going to write it on my calendar for accountability (Maybe you can find a friend to check in with to help with accountability.)

Here are a few more tips to help you make time for self care:

• Whatever it is…make it prominent in your life. Put it where you can see it. (Is it healthy eating? Set healthy food choices out on the counter or at eye level in the fridge. Make junk food hard to access. Put supplements somewhere that you see them, so that you will remember to take them. Put your skin care products next to the sink, so you remember to use them. Set your lotion bottle with your towel, so that you apply it after your shower. Put a book to read on top of the tv remote, so that you read instead of flipping through channels.)
• Write it down! Put it in your calendar. Write it on sticky notes and put them everywhere for reminders!
• Set an alarm on your phone. We have alarms for everything else! Why not use it for self care?! Set an alarm that says MOVE YOUR BODY, DRINK SOME WATER, READ 5 PAGES, TAKE 3 DEEP BREATHS, STAND UP AND STRETCH, WASH YOUR FACE, DRINK YOUR MUSHROOM JUICE, TAKE YOUR SUPPLEMENTS…I think you get the point.
• Get out of bed 10 minutes earlier than normal. Once you get used to that. Maybe you can add 10 more minutes. If you can add 10-20 minutes to your day, you’ll be able to use that time for self care practices.
• BELIEVE that your self care is important. Don’t treat it as something that is “extra” or a “luxury”. Treat your self care the same way you would treat something that was prescribed by your doctor.

When people tell me that they don’t have time for self care, I feel like they are telling me that they are not important to themselves. Physical and mental health are on the decline. I started this month (May) sharing statistics for Mental Health Awareness Month on my FB page. And the reality of those statistics was a little alarming to me. Some of that can be altered just by taking more time for self care and treating ourselves as if we matter. And some of that needs to be addressed by a therapist/doctor/medication…which is also self care. Never, ever hesitate to reach out for help.

Self care is not at the sacrifice of something else. It better equips you to deal with all the things you have to do.

I’ve said it a million times: Self care doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. But it does take commitment. Isn’t your health, mental and physical, worth it?

If you need help figuring out how to schedule self care or ways to fit it into your life, you can email me for a consultation: Christy@poshwithchristy.com

(This post contains affiliate links. You don’t pay any extra, but I may receive a commission.)