Bubble baths.

Pedicures.

Glasses of rosé around a fireplace.

Scroll through your insta feed and I guarantee you’ll see pics of each of them with #selfcare blasted all over them.

I actually don’t think there’s anything wrong with those things as self-care. I use each of those regularly in my own routines! But I think we often fall into a rut where self-care becomes the prescription AFTER we’re burnout or feel like we might explode.

What if we looked at self-care as preventative rather than a reaction to a problem? They’re almost like the vitamins you take to keep your body healthy, rather than the Tylenol you take when you have a headache because your body is worn down.

If we take a look inside the circle of your Centered Life, we see all the things that make up your priorities and passions. All the things that make up you at your best. Those things are simply not possible if we’re always running on empty.

You can’t be your best if you’re always feeling your worst.

A regular, sustainable self-care framework and routine keeps us from the pendulum swing of all or nothing. When we don’t have that set up, we end up going from a hot, frazzled mess to feeling like we have to implement ALL the things that will help us feel more like ourselves. And in the end make us feel overwhelmed and like we failed…at taking care of ourselves!

Which makes us only feel even worse! 

When you take care of yourself in a way that’s manageable, it spills over to every single area of your life.

A woman who practices self-care is a better worker.

A woman who practices self-care is a better mom.

A better sister.

A better daughter.

A better woman.

So how do you make a sustainable framework that actually helps you rather than stresses you out? You’ve got to break it into manageable chunks. Start small and work your way out.

Daily. What can I do every single day that will make a difference in the way that I feel? These are going to be the smallest, seemingly insignificant things. Getting up before anyone else in the house. Thirty seconds of deep breaths before you go into work. Taking the long way from the kids’ school so you can drive past the lake that makes you smile. Remember, these things don’t have to matter to anyone else. It’s self-care, not others-care.

Weekly/Monthly. Start to look at the bigger picture. Can you get away someplace by yourself for an hour or two? Work doesn’t count. And, unless you LOVE going to the grocery store, running errands doesn’t count either. Whatever it looks like, it needs to leave you feeling refreshed and energized.

Quarterly/Yearly. I know everyone’s situation is different, so this one will probably vary the most for everyone. I hiiiiiighly recommend getting away for at least one overnight by yourself, once a year. No work responsibilities. No kid requests. At least 24 hours. Because if you try to skip out after bedtime and get back by breakfast, you’re really not going to reap the benefits of this time (but hey, anything is better than nothing!)

Whatever your self-care routine looks like, it mostly matters that it feels good to you. That it actually reduces your stress instead of adding to it. And makes you feel like you’re more in the center of your life!