3 Steps To Beginning a Self-Care Routine

Especially when you have no idea where to start.

Photo courtesy of Pexels for Canva

Everyone Says To Practice Self-Care, but I Have No Idea Where To Start

I was working with a group last week, when a woman asked, “How do I practice self-care? I have no idea where to start.” She said she had taken care of everyone but herself for so long, she had no clue what she even liked to do anymore.

This is really common for people-pleasers, and co-dependents. We make everyone else a priority, until one day, our health is deteriorating, and our life is in shambles. We know big changes are necessary, but that seems like a daunting task. Do we start with our health? Do we start with our mental health? Our spirituality? Our looks? Our emotional health?

There’s really a simple way to start a self-care routine you can stick to.

Take Baby Steps

Change is overwhelming, particularly if all areas of your life seem to be falling apart. Most of us are impatient, too. We want it fixed now! “Somebody just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it!”

But, usually, long-lasting change doesn’t happen at one time. It happens little by little, piece by piece. Too many changes at once can make you frustrated, and cause you to give up, reverting back to old habits. Mini habit changes are easier to digest.

I told my group member to start with baby steps. Here are a few to try. Pick one of these, (or something else), and then add another step later, when the first one feels easy.

• Take a 10–20 minute walk outdoors — Studies show that when participants spent time in nature for just 120 minutes a week, their mood improved, they had lower probability of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma complications, anxiety, and death. You can start small and work your way up to daily walks of 20 minutes or more.
• Write in a journal — Journaling can improve mental health and overall wellbeing. Dr. John Sarno’s work on healing pain, suggests that journaling can help improve physical health, too.
• Meditate — The practice of sitting in silence for 10–20 minutes a day can quiet your mind and help you listen to your own intuition. I…