We tend to think that self-care is a waste of time. I know that many people especially moms who struggle with the concept of putting ourselves first. Our culture is working against us, and we feel guilty for doing what we should be doing. We need to give ourselves permission to do things for ourselves that break bad patterns and help improve our daily care routines.

We’ll never have serenity if our task list is so long that it does not allow for a little ME time. A lack of self-care causes stress. People, unfortunately, feel unworthy of self-care and many people are proud that they don’t “need self-care”. But I want to encourage you to change that mindset.

Making our own mental and physical health a priority may be in our own self-interest, but it’s in other people’s best interest, too. People who take care of themselves are happier and have more stamina to get more accomplished.

So how do you break your pattern of sabotaging habits and develop a self-care routine at the same time? 

Your Morning Routine!! (because how many of us can’t seem to find the time for this?)

Does this seem like a long shot? Those of us who aren’t morning people and have to be dragged out of bed are going to be especially skeptical. I have been that person for the majority of my life.

Having a morning routine will give you time to take care of yourself and start a self-care routine & help your day go by smooth.

I found a way to get myself pumped up about waking up in the morning with the added bonus of taking care of my health at the same time.

Here are some of the benefits you can expect to gain from this morning routine:

• Wake up every day with more energy, drive, and structure
• lower stress levels
• Feeling better about yourself
• improve overall health
• increase productivity and focus
• have more gratitude and less worry

So, I know you’re wondering how to start this self-care morning routine so let me give you the deets…..

An extraordinary life is all about daily, continuous improvements in the areas that matter most. ~Robin Sharma

How The Self-Care Morning Routine Works

STEP 1:

Wake up an hour earlier. It may seem impossible to wake up an hour earlier, but the goal is to find activities that are exciting and enjoyable enough to you that you don’t mind losing that extra hour of sleep.

STEP 2:

Morning silence. Spend at least 10 minutes daily embracing yourself & focusing on YOU. The idea is to create and strengthen the serenity that lies within you. Starting your day with a moment of silence is soothing. We all face many sources of stress on a daily basis: we might as well start with something positive and enjoyable by projecting ourselves positively into the present moment and expressing gratitude for the things we have.

Meditation, prayer and breathing exercises, or just a cup of coffee ALONE in silence help us appreciate calmness. Morning silence reduces stress and enhances our ability to think and react to challenges.

STEP 3:

Affirmations & Visualizations. This step consists of writing down positive statements about yourself and reading them aloud every morning & visualizing successful situations that you want to achieve in the smallest details, you see yourself as a winner, you then imagine every situation is possible and achievable.

The goal is to remove negative thoughts from our brain that may prevent us from moving forward and to reprogram it with positive thoughts, which can lead to causing a boost effect on our actions over time.

Having a positive vision reinforces our ability to believe in it, and to access it. It is a law of attraction, baby.

STEP 4:

Exercise. The benefits of exercise have proven to increase energy, improve sleep, health and emotional well-being. This could be as simple as a brisk walk in your neighborhood, 20 minutes of yoga, cutting on your favorite playlist and dancing around the kitchen. Just anything to get your blood moving and release those endorphins.

STEP 5:

Clean your face.. Take 20 minutes every morning and tend to your skin! Your skin is your largest organ and it often times gets the LEAST of attention. A simple yet quick 5 step routine can help you feel like a million bucks! Cleanse, Tone, Treat, Moisturize, and Protect. (I’ll give you my routine in the next blog.

By putting myself first (self-care) in the morning, I’ve given myself the opportunity to challenge myself, create new habits, try things I’ve always wanted to but felt I haven’t had the time and overall set my own mood and tone for the day.

So, are you going to try theses steps to help your self care?