Having a self care routine takes care of your body and can also improve your mental health. Self care routines can include all types of activities to help you feel more relaxed, confident, and productive. When creating your routine, make sure to consider your mind, body, and soul. Read on to discover some of the best self care routine tips from seasoned experts.
Eat Healthy
Michael Jankie, Founder The Natural Patch Co
Eating healthy is one of the best steps to include in your self care routine. This can include everything from starting off your day with a hearty breakfast to get your body ready for the day, as well as eating healthy snacks during the day to help keep your body fueled and recharged. Make sure to eat plenty of complex carbohydrates on a daily basis as a part of your self care routine. Save time on meal prep with healthy foods delivery. Also, instead of starting your day with a cup of coffee, opt for a warm cup of green tea to help clear your mind for a calm new day. For a quick and simple healthy afternoon snack, try bringing veggies and hummus or bananas with peanut butter to the office. For bigger meals, focus on loading your plate with fruits and veggies to truly make self care a part of every meal you have throughout the day.
Take Care of Your Skin
Jeremy Gardner, CEO MadeMan
Taking care of your skin is a wonderful step to add to your self care routine this year. Begin by using a soothing face mask to help revitalize your skin. Then, find the best skincare products that work for you, and create a personalized routine that will keep your face feeling healthy and hydrated. The key to the perfect skincare routine is finding the best facial cleanser and moisturizer that will keep your skin looking fresh. Be sure to use products with natural ingredients to give you glowing skin. Taking the time to care for your skin as a part of your self care routine will be sure to inspire and improve your confidence in all aspects of life.
Make Time to Exercise
Lindsay McCormick, Founder and CEO Bite
Exercise is known for its many health benefits and works wonders for your body, which is why incorporating exercise into your self care routine is critical. Making time to exercise can help improve your mood and will give you more energy throughout your day. If you are new to exercising, start by cycling, jogging, swimming, and dancing. These kinds of physical activity will help to stimulate your brain chemicals, leaving you feeling happier, and stress-free. Try doing exercises that help you to feel centered and relaxed to get the maximum benefit from working out. As for time, start out with a 30-minute workout per day, and gradually bump up your workout time until you find what amount of time works best for you and your body. If you find yourself not having a large block of time in your schedule available to dedicate to working out, then try to take short walks between breaks at the office, and find simple ways to get your steps in throughout the day.
Find A New Hobby
Rachel Roff, Founder and CEO Urban Skin Rx
Rather than binge-watching Netflix or mindlessly scrolling through social media, try a new hobby to decompress after working a long day. If you already enjoy several hobbies, try going back to one of them that you haven’t taken time to do in a while. Things like knitting, journaling, painting, writing, baking or any other hobby that helps you unwind and add some joy to your day. This is important for balancing the stress you might be feeling from work.
Slow Down and Focus on Activities That Make You Happy
Evan Zhao, Co-Founder and CEO Revela
One of the best ways to take care of your mental health and to practice self care is to slow down, and do something that brings you joy every day. Whether this is meditating, reading your favorite book, writing in a journal, painting a picture, or playing your favorite sport, it is important to incorporate activities that genuinely make you happy into your self care routine. This will help to give your life fulfillment, and will get rid of stress, allowing your mind to rest and take a breather.
Gett a Full Night’s Sleep
Matthew Mundt, Founder and CEO Hug Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is critical to taking care of your body and should always be a part of your self care routine. Try following a consistent sleep routine and make sleep a priority by unwinding in the early evening. You can do this by not staying up too late watching TV, and avoid eating large meals late at night. Trying things like listening to soothing music or writing down a list of tasks for the next day is a great way to get your mind ready to rest before bed. You can also do some light stretching or read a book as long as you use soft light that will not hurt your eyes.
Spend Time Volunteering
Alvin Oommen, Founder and CEO OXFORDhill
Sometimes one of the best ways to care for yourself is to take care of others. This year, spend some time volunteering to help lift your mood, while also making a difference in the community around you. Head over to the local food bank, and give out groceries to people in need. If you love making furry friends, you could even volunteer at a local animal shelter. Whether you spend time volunteering, or opt to give a monetary donation to your favorite charity, giving back will make a difference in someone else’s life, and it will also make a difference in yours. For your new self care routine, start out with volunteering for one hour a month, and then work your way up from there and you will notice a huge difference in your overall attitude.
Spend Time Cooking and Taking Time to Relax
DeJanae Evins, Founder Green Goddess Glow Cooking has probably been the most essential part to me taking care of myself during this time. What we eat not only impacts how our body functions with regard to our immune systems but it also impacts how we feel and our bodies ability to manage stress. During the day, I’m on the internet and bombarded by the news and latest developments about the global corona crisis. If ever I feel overwhelmed, I just set everything aside and take a nap or a long bath with infused bath salts or an infused bath bomb. Listening to jazz music also allows me to relax and keep calm. The goal is to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep so I’m well rested and ready to take on the day tomorrow.
Make a Morning and Night Time Routine
Hannah Bronfman, Founder HBFIT
My self-care routine is the thing I look forward to and helps me feel a sense of calm during these uncertain times. Every morning I start my day with probiotics and vitamin C then I drink a large glass of water with apple cider vinegar. Then, I move into 30 minutes of movement, whether it’s a walk down the street or a Kira Stokes workout via her app. My night time beauty routine is my moment to really pamper my skin. I'm alternating masks every other day while sipping on turmeric tea or red wine.
All in all, after you set up your self care routine, hold yourself accountable by setting realistic goals for incorporating these activities every day. After you find your groove and truly begin implementing these practices into your everyday life, remember to take time to evaluate and reflect on the positive benefits that you begin to experience. You should make changes and adjust your self care routine to your liking, so that your mind, body, and soul feel refreshed and ready to take on the world.
