I used to think that self-care meant spending an entire day lounging around the spa and fancy nights out on the town with girlfriends. Don't get me wrong; days like that are still amazing! But, these days they're few and far between.
Over the years, I've realized that self-care doesn't need to be a huge "to do." Instead, it can be as simple as doing one small thing for myself EVERY single day. Here some of my daily and weekly self-care practices.
Every day I get up before the kids (it's gotten easier over the years as they sleep in more these days. When they were young, I'd often get up at 5 am just to get ahead start on the day).
I love this time alone in the mornings to gather my thoughts, have a drink by myself and relax without anyone asking me for anything. Often, I've thrown on a load of laundry, had coffee and exercised before anyone else has woken up.
The other thing I do for myself is exercise. I love running and am just getting back into it after recovering from an injury. My original motivation to take up running was to shed some of that lingering baby weight. When I got into it, I realized how much healthier I felt in general and how great it was for my overall mental health. Now, I make exercise a priority in my week!
Since our kids were little, Marc and I have scheduled a weekly date night to grab drinks or dinner together, just the two of us. It's a lovely ritual to get a bit more dressed up once a week and spend time connecting as a couple. It's been a bit harder during Covid with restrictions and all but we do still carve out time together once a week for just the two of us.
Marc and I have also taken quite a few holidays, even weekend ones, with just the two of us over the years. I'm lumping this in self-care because it's during these times that I remember that although I'm mum, I'm Dawn too.
One of my more indulgent self-care practices is to get my nails done regularly. When the kids were younger, I didn't do it, but I'm back at it and love this little self-indulgence just for me.
What does your self-care routine look like? Is it a daily practice? I'd love to hear your self-care routines in the comments below.
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