Making Self-Care a Daily Habit

Today I’m linking up with my friend Andrea at DreAm heART sMart ArT for her blog challenge. The prompt is “self-care.”

OK, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something very important.

Pull out your to-do list. It’s probably under that pile of laundry or stuck in between the couch cushions.

Got it? Good. Now, circle all the activities on your list that involve self-care; things that make you feel good about yourself, little pleasures that give you a happiness boost, or behaviors that honor yourself from the inside out.

Hmmm…I bet there’s not much that qualifies as self-care on your list.

Maybe there’s nothing at all.

Why do we push ourselves to the bottom of our lists? Sure, our spouses, kids, pets, coworkers, and random strangers all deserve to be treated well.

But you’ll be of better service to your loved ones and others if you put yourself first. It’s true—how are you supposed to share your gifts with the world if you’re burned out?

It’s not difficult to make self-care a daily habit. It just takes consistency!

For me, the simple step of writing my daily self-care tasks on my to-do list is enough for me to remember to honor myself.

Self-care can include typical “care” activities like taking a long shower or getting a massage. It can also include things that are caring in a different way like meditating, enjoying a hobby, or reading for pleasure.

My Favorite Self-Care Activities

  • Blasting 80s dance music, singing really loud, and dancing around like a maniac. It’s a fabulous stress reliever.
  • Cooking something new with lots of fresh ingredients and actually following the recipe.
  • When I have the house to myself, I put on my comfiest pajamas, then face cream, eye cream, foot cream, teeth whitening strips, and paint my nails all while watching Pride and Prejudice for the hundredth time. Oh yeah.
  • Marathon scrapbooking sessions. Who says stickers are just for kids?
  • Reading the Twilight books again. No shame.

Here’s your assignment for the week! Choose at least 1 self-care activity to enjoy every day without fail.

You deserve it!

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9 Comments

  1. Emily_Joyce on November 28, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    I had to laugh at all the different beauty creams 🙂 Painting my nails is my special treat. I don’t do it very often, and I feel so good when I do! This is a really hard challenge, by the way! I just looked at my to do list, and wow. Even thinking about painting my nails today, my inner critic piped up with all the other things I have to get done. Scheduling self-care time will help a lot!



    • Sage Grayson on November 28, 2012 at 8:47 pm

      I’d never spend any time on myself if I didn’t schedule it. And really, we’re worth it so why not? I’m a better wife when I’ve had my me time. 🙂



  2. Suzi Poland on November 27, 2012 at 5:46 am

    Hi Sage, I love a vision of you in the house alone in pj’s dancing to 80’s music. What a hoot! Lovely to join with you again on this blog challenge.



  3. DreAm**heArt**sMart**ArT on November 26, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Dear Sage! Thank you so much to be part of my challenge! As you know I am a Mime and I just imagined yourself with all that crème- everywhere- that is really funny! And then to dance like that, all in white- yeah dear Sage, you look like a MIme too!
    LOVE, Andrea



    • Sage Grayson on November 26, 2012 at 2:39 pm

      Hi Andrea! I do look pretty funny when I put on all my beauty creams. A mime indeed! 🙂



  4. Frauke Möbius on November 26, 2012 at 7:14 am

    That’s a great post!
    I like to turn off the computer at 9pm and settle down with a book and a mug of tea to wind down before bedtime. And I’m doing it almost every day now!



    • Sage Grayson on November 26, 2012 at 11:59 am

      Reading a book with a mug of tea is one of my favorite things to do too! 🙂



  5. Molly on November 25, 2012 at 5:54 pm

    I always set aside some time each day to read. I’ve been doing it pretty much every single day since I was a kid because I love it so much. I get crabby without my reading time!

    There are a few things I want to work on doing on a daily basis for myself. This is a great reminder for that!



    • Sage Grayson on November 26, 2012 at 12:00 pm

      I used to read so much more as a kid. I’m just starting to get back into a daily reading habit because it really improves my mood.