How Will You Take Care of YOU in 2022?

As we are nine days into 2022, I wanted to take a few minutes to remind some of you that in 2022 YOU should be a priority. What are you going to do this year to make sure that your self-care remains at the top of your to do list?

Whether you have been on this self-care journey for a while or it’s a new year’s resolution for 2022, I wanted to provide the steps I often follow when I am thinking about my self-care activities.

Step 1

Ask yourself what will you hold sacred this year? What brings you joy or helps you relax?  If you want self-care to become a regular part of your routine, start by making a list of 10 small things you can do daily. This could range from reading a chapter from a book, going for a walk, soaking in the tub, or having a glass of wine on the patio. Self-care doesn’t have to be anything elaborate (though it should be from time to time).

Step 2

Realistically, consider how frequently you can commit. If you know that walking for 20 minutes everyday isn’t something you can or will do, scale back and make it every other day. Don’t overcommit yourself. The fastest way to lose your momentum is to over promise what you can do-even to yourself.

Step 3

If you are a busy woman with a family like me, sometimes you have to involve others in your plan for self-care. For me, I take care of my mom so if I want to go for a 30 minute walk every day someone needs to be here to watch my mom. That means I need to communicate to my support system that I need someone to come watch her while I am out. That may include calling my sister, my son, or her paid caregiver to come help out.  For you that may mean coordinating with your spouse, making arrangements with your job, or reaching out to others for help.

Step 4

Now that you know what activity(s) will be part of your self-care regiment, how will you ensure that you keep that activity sacred? If you are just getting started on your self-care journey I suggest an accountability partner. Find someone close to you that can call you out if you are not taking care of yourself. We all have that ONE friend that would just love to get in your behind for slacking off. Since I am deep in this journey, I don’t need an accountability partner, but I do still need some kind of accountability system. In 2022, I have purchased a journal called The 5 Minute Journal: Start and End Your Day With Mindfulness. Journaling at the start of the day allows me to set my intention for the day and literally plan one thing I can do that day to relax myself. I end my day with that same journal, reviewing how my day went and if I actually followed through on my moment of self-care.

Step 5

The last step is to simply COMMIT to it. Try for at least a month to do some type of self-care daily.  Revisit your plan at the end of each week to determine if it’s working. If it’s not working, change the plan. But don’t give up. If every day is too much, start small and make it every other day or even once a week.

I hope you find the above steps helpful to you in your self-care journey. If you are interested in the 5 minute journal, there are several options on Amazon. Find the one that works best for you.