Sustaining Self-Care: Strategies to Keep Your Self-Care Practice Going
- Nikki White
- Nov 30, 2022
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 12, 2023
What do you do daily to support your well-being? Do you prepare healthy meals? Go to the gym? Meditate? Drink plenty of water. I believe that daily self-care rituals help you stay focused on your health goals. My clients call me the queen of self-care rituals because all I do is focus on my recovery and wellness goals. I refused to relapse as I did back in 2013 due to burnout, overwhelmed, and feeling exhausted. Today I'm doing all I can to stick to and maintain my sober lifestyle free of codependency people pleasing, sugar addiction, and emotional binge eating. This year I'm celebrating 7 years in full remission living life in recovery.
In my opinion, practicing routine self-care in a constructed way helps you to release stress, learn new habits, and reach your goals. There are three main things I see in my counseling and coaching practice that make people have a bit of difficulty with this:
1️⃣Not Selecting the Correct Activities
Your chosen activities should directly address your stressors and fit your lifestyle. They should feel fun and interesting to you.
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2️⃣Not Having an Intention
Your intention helps to guide the direction and the focus of your practice. It helps you to stay grounded.
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3️⃣Not Practicing in a Structured Way
Your self-care routine should have a set time and space. This creates the framework for consistency and ease.
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If you, IN ANY WAY, associate ‘Self-Care’ with ‘Chore’ then you’re doing it wrong.
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Your self-care routine should not feel like a list of chores. There may be a time in life when you feel very excited about the idea of practicing meditation, journaling, going for daily walks, and eating better. You begin to tell yourself you’ll do a brisk walk in the evenings —every evening, then you’ll do some skincare rituals before bed. After a while, your self-care routine begins to feel like a list of chores.
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Your self-care practice should call to you not something you do because you feel like it's something you should be doing. You should want to engage with it. It should be fun for you. I love to put my Avon Anew Gel Cleanse on my face every morning and night because I love the way it makes my face look and feel afterward. My middle daughter does the same rituals. However, my hubby only likes to use the Anew exfoliate scrub about two times a week. My oldest daughter only wants to use the charcoal mask. My son doesn't want to use anything but has to due to the acne skin that high schoolers usually go through. My youngest daughter prefers warm water only. Self-care is a personal choice just like food preference. This is why in my wellness workshop last weekend with my Skincare class participants for my Avon Customers I talked about creating a self-care routine for the fall and winter I gave you these suggestions:
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1. Start Slow
You don’t have to do walks every day at the end of the day. Three times a week would do. You don’t have to start off doing a two-mile jog. You can start with a long walk to relax the day away.
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2. Lifestyle
Choose practices that call to you and that fit your lifestyle. Don’t do something you’re not excited about, that doesn’t fit you, or that you don’t want to do.
3. Skincare
Choose products you love. Even if that means using only warm water like my daughter. Everyone's skin is different. Do what is best for you.
If you are an Avon Lover check out my website for the latest deals on Anew skincare, Espira wellness, Skin So Soft, footwork, and more. Click Here.
The thing you need to know about making your self-care a top priority is simple.
Self-care is a vital aspect of maintaining overall well-being, both physically and mentally. It involves deliberate actions and practices that nurture your body, mind, and spirit, promoting a balanced and fulfilling life. While starting a self-care routine is essential, maintaining and consistently integrating these practices into your lifestyle is equally important. In this article, we will discuss various strategies and approaches to help you sustain and nourish your self-care journey, ensuring a happier, healthier, and more resilient you.
Identify Your Core Values and Priorities
To sustain a self-care practice, it's crucial to align your self-care activities with your core values and priorities. Reflect on what matters most to you and what brings you fulfillment and happiness. Your self-care routine should complement these values and priorities, making it easier to stay committed in the long run.
Understanding your values can guide you in choosing self-care activities that resonate with your beliefs and aspirations. For instance, if family is a core value, dedicating time for meaningful family interactions can be a significant aspect of your self-care routine.
Create a Realistic and Sustainable Routine
Develop a self-care routine that is realistic and sustainable within the context of your life. Consider your schedule, responsibilities, and other commitments while planning your self-care activities. It's better to start small and gradually expand your routine, rather than overwhelming yourself with an unsustainable plan.
Set achievable goals for your self-care routine and incorporate activities that fit seamlessly into your daily life. Consistency is key, and even small, regular self-care practices can make a significant impact over time.
Prioritize Self-Care in Your Schedule
Treat self-care with the same level of importance as other commitments in your schedule. Allocate dedicated time slots for your self-care activities, and honor these appointments just as you would for work meetings or social gatherings.
By prioritizing self-care in your schedule, you send a strong message to yourself and others that your well-being matters. It reinforces the significance of these activities in your life and helps you stay committed to them.
Be Adaptable and Flexible
Life is unpredictable, and there will be times when your routine gets disrupted. It's important to be adaptable and flexible in your self-care practice. If a planned activity isn't possible on a particular day, have alternative self-care options ready that can easily fit into your day.
Adaptability allows you to sustain your self-care practice, even during challenging or busy periods. Embrace change and be open to modifying your routine to suit your circumstances.
Connect with a Supportive Community
Engage with a community or group of individuals who share similar self-care goals. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals can provide encouragement, motivation, and a sense of accountability. Discussing your self-care journey with others allows you to exchange ideas and learn from their experiences.
Online forums, support groups, or local meetups are great ways to connect with a community that can support you in maintaining your self-care practice or join our membership Life in Recovery.
Celebrate Your Progress and Achievements
Acknowledge and celebrate your progress on your self-care journey. Celebrating your achievements, no matter how small reinforces the positive impact of your self-care routine on your life. It encourages you to continue the journey and motivates you to set new goals.
Consider maintaining a self-care journal to track your progress, accomplishments, and how each activity makes you feel. This reflection can be a powerful tool to reinforce your commitment to self-care.
Integrate Self-Care into Daily Habits
Make self-care an integral part of your daily routine by incorporating it into existing habits. For example, use your morning routine as an opportunity for mindfulness by starting the day with a few minutes of deep breathing or meditation. Integrate self-care into activities like meal preparation, exercise, or commuting.
By blending self-care with your daily habits, you create a seamless transition that makes it easier to sustain these practices.
Practice Mindfulness and Presence
Mindfulness involves being fully present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. Incorporating mindfulness into your self-care routine helps you appreciate and fully engage in each activity.
When practicing self-care, focus on the current moment without distractions. Whether you're enjoying a relaxing bath, going for a walk, or savoring a healthy meal, immerse yourself in the experience and relish the benefits it brings to your well-being.
Seek Professional Guidance and Support
If you find it challenging to sustain your self-care practice, consider seeking guidance from a mental health professional, life coach, or wellness expert. They can provide personalized strategies, techniques, and encouragement to help you overcome barriers and maintain your self-care routine.
Professional support can be especially valuable if you're struggling with motivation, time management, or incorporating self-care into a hectic lifestyle.
Regularly Reevaluate and Adjust Your Routine
Your needs, circumstances, and preferences may change over time, and so should your self-care routine. Regularly reevaluate your routine to ensure it remains relevant and fulfilling. Assess whether your current activities align with your goals and values, and make adjustments accordingly.
By being open to evolution and growth, you can fine-tune your self-care practice to meet your evolving needs and aspirations.
Conclusion
Sustaining a self-care practice is about integrating intentional, nurturing activities into your daily life that align with your values and priorities. It's a commitment to caring for yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally, allowing you to lead a fulfilling and balanced life. By identifying your core values, creating a realistic routine, prioritizing self-care, and seeking support when needed, you can cultivate a sustainable self-care practice that enriches your overall well-being for the long term. Remember, self-care is not a luxury; it's a necessity for a healthy and happy life.
🍁If you want to live life in recovery like me think about the three statements I mentioned above and make adjustments to improve your daily habits. Happy Holidays Guys!
Need Help Developing A Plan For Self-Care
Do you want help developing a self-care plan that works for your busy schedule? Do you want accountability in implementing a self-care plan? If you or someone you love is struggling to maintain optimal mental and emotional health, consider reaching out to Spiced Life Conversation Art Wellness Studio and Botanica. We are a Metro Atlanta, Conyers Georgia area. We are a coaching and counseling practice with empathetic, skilled counselors and recovery coaches who can help you set goals, develop a self-care routine, and move forward to build a more fulfilling life. Our team would be happy to work with you either just for a couple of sessions to develop and implement a Self-care plan or longer term to work toward overall better mental health within our membership site or other programs.
About The Author:
Dr. Nikki LeToya White MSEd-TL, Ph.D. RHN is the founder, director, and full-time board-certified trauma-informed nutritionist, folk herbalist, and wellness consultant at Spiced Life Conversation Art Wellness Studio and Botanica. She created Spiced Life Conversation, LLC
Art Wellness Studio and Botanica to provide the Metro Atlanta area with counseling and coaching services where clients are carefully matched with the right program for healing abandonment and childhood emotional neglect trauma that cause codependency, emotional eating, financial stress, and imposter syndrome as it relates to fear of success and being abandon. We help you begin your emotional healing journey with ease. Recently, we have expanded to include an online membership site so we now provide support to people living all over the world. All of our recovery coaches provide at least one evidence-based treatment to assist in your recovery. Dr. White is a big proponent of self-care and helping people live a fulfilling life! She has been in full remission with both codependency and emotional binge eating disorder since 2016. In living a life in recovery from sugar addiction. Loving her low-sugar balance lifestyle.
Best Regards
Dr. Nikki LeToya White
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