Which Self Care Activities Are Right For Me?

If you have ever googled “self-care activities” it’s likely you have had a list that looks like this pop up in your search results…. "Get 8 hours sleep, go for a walk, read a book”

It’s not a bad list - these things are a great way to lavish yourself in self care but they are also pretty general activities that may not always resonate with you and your lifestyle. Let me be clear - everybody needs sleep, but some people need more sleep than others. Walking is a great way to gently exercise but you may not have the means to dash out for a jaunt around the neighbourhood.

When people read lists that don’t make sense and resonate with them personally, they tend to put them in the “too hard basket” and set the recommendations aside. By nature, Humans are wired to seek comfort so, anything that initially puts someone outside their comfort zone may not be received well and could be the reason or excuse to start that self care journey tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day, or the day after that….

Self-Care isn’t a new fad or trend. As Wellness becomes more and more widespread, self-care has stretched it’s arms and reached new niches and markets meaning, Self-care activities are now, more diverse than ever before.

10 years ago, your Skincare routine would have been associated with personal hygiene. Today, someone’s skincare routine will appear in searched “wellness” content on every social media platform.

Personally, I think this is great! One of the roadblocks to an individual investing time into their wellbeing can be simply them not being able to resonate with activities, recommendations and strategies to begin filling their own cup.

Self-care doesn’t just need to be simplified, it needs to be more diverse and allow for individual needs and preferences.

What makes you…YOU

Everybody is unique and individual. This means our needs, wants and desires vary from person to person. Sometimes, you meet people that vibe with you, they love the same things, wish the same dreams and may even have the same quirks. Other times, you meet people who are polar opposites yet you can develop deep friendships with them. That’s the beauty of the world. Every one of us has our own blueprint for what makes us individuals.

Seeing as we are all unique creatures. Our way to self-care is understandably going to be different. This is where that self care list full of sleep, reading and walking activities can be polarizing and make some people give it the flick.

So how do you begin to understand what self care looks like for you?

It’s actually pretty easy. I like to start with a list.

Writing down the things you enjoy doing will give you instant access to a plethora of self care activities. You need to set aside the idea that self care is only massages, face masks and walks on the beach. Some people love nothing more that sitting down on the couch at the end of the day to watch their favourite TV show. Others, wish they had more time to make art while others may wish for a just half an hour to listen to their favourite podcast.

Society is great at telling you what’s wrong and what’s right. While some things, like spending ALL day playing video games may not be productive. Scheduled time to play your favourite game and catch up with online pals may be what you need to relax and unwind or get that adrenaline going. Similarly, a Mum with three kids may struggle to get out and walk around the neighbourhood but can schedule 30 minutes of Yoga at home during nap time. Establishing the things that you enjoy and aligning them with the things you can actually do makes a huge difference. The path to self care and carving out sometime for you becomes not only realistic but also achievable.

Finding balance is crucial when personalising your self care activities. You can actually have too much of a good thing. For example, you may want to binge watch that new TV series one weekend but if you make this plan for every weekend, soon, you will develop the habit of sitting in front of the TV for hours at a time and this is not the best for your health and wellbeing.

It’s like eating a slice of cake. One slice is perfect to savour and enjoy that delicious piece of pastry but have too much and soon you will feeling like you never want to eat cake again!

This is why balance is so important and why you must find the discipline to enjoy your special time but don’t neglect everything else around you.

The more freedom you give yourself to do the things that make you happy and spark joy, the more chances you will have of succeeding in filling your own cup. Instead of following a step-by-step recipe curated by someone for a generic audience, creating your list and making it work for you is the only way you will gain satisfaction and achieve real self-care. You may even discover new things along the way and perhaps meet like-minded people who will come on a journey with you.

What are you writing down on your list today?