Self-Care Awareness Month: Creating A Daily Night & Morning Routine
Self-Care Awareness Month
In my introduction post to Self-Care Awareness Month a couple of weeks ago, I talked about the importance of consistency and creating a daily self-care routine. Then in last week’s post, I gave lots of recommendations for self-help and personal growth and development books that have become an integral part of my own self-care routine.
I actually received a number of questions about my personal routines and what I do for self-care as well as some questions about where to start the process of creating your own self-care routine. I thought today I would try to tackle these questions and give as many details about my processes as possible. I hope it can help you on your own journey to living your best life.
Why Consistency Matters
Last summer I took part in an awesome self-care group that was lead by an entrepreneur friend of mine who was actually quite instrumental in helping me develop my self-care routines. I had always heard that it takes 21 days to create a habit, and I just assumed that was a truth. In going through the self-care group, I learned that it actually takes just over 2 months of consistency in order to form a habit. The research shows it takes 66 days, so the program I was part of was for exactly 66 days.
Before taking part in this self-care group, I had never been diligent about maintaining daily consistency. I would just do some self-care-like activities from time-to-time, but I had never made it a point to intentionally schedule it as a part of my day.
I soon learned how easy it is to fall off track or to make excuses to not do self-care when you don’t feel like it. However, I also learned that if you maintain consistency with your routine, it becomes a part of your day and then you will start to miss it when you don’t do it. The more you practice it consistently, the more it solidifies as a habit and the easier it is to do. Change is not easy, and the brain will resist it pretty intensely, so the consistency helps push through the feelings of not wanting to do something.
Now, if I haven’t done self-care in a day, I can tell. I feel off and weird and often turn to unhelpful coping mechanisms. Once I realize I’m off track, I reset things by implementing an activity that I know will help me feel better. It literally always works!
Start Where You Are
Self-care is a way to take care of yourself, and it’s a way to fill your emotional cup so you have more to give to others. Another way to think of it is to imagine your self-care as a bank account. The more consistently you make deposits, the more of an emotional balance you’ll have to pull from when needed.
Self-care activities are not meant to take a lot of time. In fact, with just 5-10 minutes per day of consistency, you can make a significant positive change in your mindset and your overall happiness levels. If you are just beginning your self-care journey, start with just 5 minutes a day, and add additional time as you feel ready and able to do.
Are you trying to create your own self care routine? I have 31 (or more) ideas for you to mix and match to create healthy habits to help refill your emotional cup. I have a nightly routine and a self care routine for my mornings. These self care ideas include beauty and skincare, self care products, and other ideas to help you take care of you. #SelfCare #SelfCareRoutine #SelfCareNightlyRoutine #SelfCareMornings #SelfCareSkinCare #SelfCareProducts
Choose Things You Enjoy
When just starting off, it can feel overwhelming, so it’s a good idea to choose activities you enjoy doing and/or feel like you want to try. There really are so many activities that you could try out, but here is a list of some suggestions:. I have also included links to some of the things I’ve used along my own journey, and they really have helped me develop my routines and keep me on track.
Say or write daily affirmations
New to using affirmations? This deck of 50 affirmation cards can help
Keep a gratitude journal
Meditation
Guided Journaling
I Love Love Love the Zen as F*ck Journals
I love all the 52 Lists series of guided journals
52 Lists for Happiness: Weekly Journaling Inspiration for Positivity, Balance, and Joy
The 52 Lists Project: A Year of Weekly Journaling Inspiration
52 Lists for Calm: Journaling Inspiration for Soothing Anxiety and Creating a Peaceful Life
52 Lists for Togetherness: Journaling Inspiration to Deepen Connections with Your Loved Ones
Free journaling/keeping a diary
My favorite journals to use are Moleskin
Do something creative
Adult coloring books
Coloring Journals
Paint by numbers (Lindsay’s tip: Great for those who don’t feel creative by want to be!)
Paint by diamonds (I’m doing this one soon!)
Read self-help/self-development books
Check out my blog from last week for links to all my favorite self-help books
Watch motivational videos
Listen to uplifting and motivating music
Exercise
Dance
Do a mindfulness activity
Spend time in nature
Just start with one thing that sounds interesting to you. Don’t feel like you have to do everything all at once. The goal is to create consistency, not overwhelm. Think about when in your day you can set aside 5 minutes of time do your self-care activity. Check out the links I provided and see if anything speaks to you. There is no wrong way to start. As you get more consistent and figure out what self-care activities appeal to you, start adding additional items to your routine and increase the time spent by 5 minutes with each new activity.
That’s all there is to it! It’s that simple, and it really does help to replenish all the emotional energy that is depleted by life.
***This post contains affiliate links, and I may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping me out.***
Numbing is NOT Self-Care
You may be wondering why there is a focus on the time spent, and I want to explain the difference between self-care and numbing. It is probably easiest for me to use an example to explain this. It’s not uncommon for someone I’m working with as a life coach or a therapist to be very excited to get started on their self-care journey.
They take the list of self-care activities and pick adult coloring as their creative activity. Then, they proceed to spend 4-5 hours coloring. Although, they may have a pretty picture to show for the time spent, they weren’t really doing self-care. Instead, they likely numbed. This is not to say that you can’t devote a whole day to doing something you enjoy, but self-care is about intentional mindful time spent in small increments.
As you add additional activities to your daily routine, at a maximum you will only really spend 30-60 minutes devoted to self-care. The idea is not to take up a lot of time during your day, but the intentional mindful approach will allow you refill your cup.
My Night Routine
Yes, I’m talking about my night routine before I talk about my morning routine. This is because it’s actually easier for most people to develop a night routine when first beginning a self-care journey. This was definitely true for me. At first, I started with 3 things, and my list of nighttime activities has increased over time. You may notice not all of these items are on the list of self-care activities I suggested earlier, and you may find that you add additional things to your routine as you go.
Are you just starting out on your self care routine journey? I found starting a nightly self care routine was easiest when I first got started. I have 10 (maybe more) nightly self care tips that I use every night. This includes beauty and skincare self care and products I use to keep my emotional cup full. #SelfCare #SelfCareRoutine #SelfCareNightlyRoutine #SelfCareSkinCare #SelfCareProducts
I love my night routine. It is actually hard for me to go to sleep without doing these things now!
My night routine:
I read 5-10 pages of a self-help book.
I linked all the books on my current reading list in my blog last week.
I take my nighttime vitamins and supplements.
I do my gratitude practice.
I either use one of the gratitude journals listed earlier, I say them outloud or just write them out in my diary-style journal.
I stretch while saying affirmations.
I wash my face.
I brush & floss my teeth.
I use my favorite essential oils
I use my favorite dry shampoo.
I use my CBD oil pain relieving salve on my back, neck and shoulders.
I drink a full glass of water.
Drinking water and avoiding soda is an overall self-care goal of mine, so this is part of how I incorporate more water into my days.
After completing these steps, I set my alarm for the next morning and turn out the lights to go to bed. I am still working to completely avoid my phone before bed, as I know it’s not good for the cognition. However, I am a work-in-progress, and I know I can continually make improvements to my routine.
It may seem like a lot of things to-do, but this whole process takes about 30 minutes for me to complete each night. It has become an integral part of my day, and I look forward to these steps each night before bed.
My Morning Routine
I didn’t start my morning routine until I had been consistent with my night routine for about 6 months. Slowly I started to incorporate things into my mornings. It’s a way for me to get my day started off on the right foot, and I can definitely feel a difference when I’m rushed and don’t get all of my list accomplished before I leave the house. I’m still working on waking up at the same time each day, but I am getting better at that consistency!
Are you wondering how you can create a self care routine for the mornings? Start your day off right with healthy habits that will help you feel your best all day long. I have 10 (or more) tips I use every morning that help me fulfill my beauty and skincare self care needs as well as help me maintain a healthy mental health. #Selfcare #SelfCareRoutine #SelfCareMornings #SelfCareSkinCare #SelfCareProducts
My morning routine:
I take my morning vitamins and supplements and drink a glass of water to get going
I wash my face.
I take a shower or bath depending on how I’m feeling each day.
I like to imagine all my struggles are washing down the drain and I get ready to start my day.
I brush & floss my teeth
I use a perfume that makes me happy.
I use my favorite essential oils.
I do my morning gratitude practice.
I often will use one of the gratitude journals listed earlier or just write them out in my diary-style journal.
I do my daily Coach Crate assignments/activities.
I love that there are activities throughout the month to keep me on top of my self-care and personal growth and development. If you are interested in trying it for yourself, you can use my link to sign up for your first Coach Crate and use the code FIRSTBOX to get a discount on your initial purchase!
I do something creative.
I sometimes choose to color in one of my adult coloring books like the ones I linked earlier if I’m wanting a quick option. Other times I will paint, knit or make jewelry as my creative outlet. I don’t do something creative every single day, but I’d like to incorporate creative outlets more frequently.
Some Other Self-Care Things
Due to the chronic pain I struggle with on a regular basis, i have incorporated monthly chiropractic visits into my self-care routine. This is what I mean about making it your own. Some people enjoy getting a manicure, a pedicure, a massage, and a variety of other activities that aren’t part of a daily routine. It’s all about doing things that help you live your best life!
If you don’t have a chiropractor, I highly recommend Dr. Laura McMurray. She does adjustments as well as deep tissue pressure release, and I love that she takes an individualistic approach to the process and meets each patient wherever they are on their journey to wellness. If you are interested in setting up an appointment with her, you can visit her website to get all her info. Make sure you tell her Lindsay sent you!
Progress Not Perfection
I realize I have quite a few items on my list, and it has grown quite a bit since I first started on my self-care journey. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by looking at all of the things I do. My goal was to give you some ideas of my routines and how I created them to fit into my life. I don’t feel stressed when I look at my list, because I developed things at my own pace. I gave myself permission to figure out what works best for me, and I experimented with my process.
There is no such thing as a perfect self-care process. It’s an evolving journey of becoming the best version of yourself, and I think it’s a actually a lifelong endeavor. Focus on starting where you are, and doing what you can do move closer to the person you want to be. Make sure you have fun along the way, and don’t ever feel like you’re stuck with something you try.
You are never stuck, and you always have the ability to shift if things are no longer serving you or if you start to feel dread about doing some element of your routine. And, please don’t feel limited by thinking this blog is a complete picture of all the possible self-care activities. If you have your own ideas of ways to take care of you and your mindset, I do hope you’ll incorporate those things into your own routines!
Work with Me
If you are interested in setting up an appointment for therapy, life coaching, or consulting or if you would like more information about ways to incorporate and implement self-care into your life, you can call my office directly at 314-485-9189 or feel free to send me a message. My direct email address is lindsay@lindsaywalden.com and you can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more life and relationship tips!
I will be launching a number of new workshops and coaching groups in the next few months, so there will be many ways to connect and work with me! Stay tuned for details on them coming soon!
Therapy Thoughts Workshops
If you are local to the St. Louis area and interested in attending my monthly Therapy Thoughts Workshops, I just wanted to let you know they are on hold for a bit, but we will be back soon with more helpfulness. I love being able to bring you a great discussion with tips to implement into your life. I’m so grateful to the The Bike Stop Cafe for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to see how this develops in the future! If you have topics or questions you’d like me to cover in a future workshop, please let me know. Either send me an email lindsay@ilndsaywalden.com or call my office 314-485-9189.
Therapy Thoughts Podcast
My Therapy Thoughts podcast has re-launched, and I am so excited!!! Each new episode will be uploaded to my Therapy Thoughts Podcast Blog on the website each Thursday afternoon at 2:00pm CST, and then I’ll share it to all the podcasting sites from there. It is also available on the Apple iTunes podcast site, and you can subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Last week we talked about Self-Care Awareness Month and some of the self-help books I recommend reading. If you want to check it out, here is the link to Episode 4.
We are still considering changing the name of the podcast, but that’s not for sure yet. There is already a Therapy Thoughts Podcast, and I don’t want there to be any confusion, so I will update you as soon as we make a decision about what to do.
I really am so grateful to all of you for your continued support, and I hope you’ll tune in this Thursday. Remember to make sure you are following all my social media platforms so will know when each new episode is available. And, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel, so you will be able to watch the episodes once I have the videos ready to go!
