I spoke about this topic for my interview on the Women Offshore Podcast, but I really wanted to touch on it for my listeners as well. You (hopefully) change the oil in your car when you’re supposed to, right? If not, I know that you charge your phone once a day. But when was the last time that you made time for yourself before you NEEDED it?

Everyone talks about self care in terms of face masks and bath bombs, but there is so much more to it. It doesn’t have to be much, and there are so many ways to do it. Unfortunately, you aren’t an engine, and you don’t come with a user’s manual. Your needs are going to change depending on what season of your life you are in. At certain times of my life, self care was just getting into the gym 3 days a week, and at other times, it was programming a rest day into my workout routine so that I didn’t burn out. Sometimes it is bath bombs and candles and fancy lotions.

But more than that, ensure you make time for yourself mentally. Mental stress is just as taxing as physical labor, but it gets overlooked as “not a big deal” so easily. 

If you don’t make self care a priority, it isn’t as easy as moisturizing and eating a vegetable every now and then.  But it doesn’t have to be hard either, but you need to see the value in it. You plug in your phone. You change the oil in your car. But do you see the value in taking care of yourself? Until we see that, we won’t be able to implement these practices on a consistent basis. When I did this because it was "what I was supposed to do" it left me even more stressed out, because I saw self care as something to add to my to-do-list instead of seeing it as a way to reduce my stress and overwhelm.

Where do you start if self care isn’t a priority for you right now?

Step 1: Find your why. Realize that you are amazing, and you need to take care of yourself. This brain and this body that you live in are the only ones you will get in this lifetime. Stop looking at yourself as a renewable resource.

Step 2: Identify your excuses. Write all of yours down. We are going to make a plan to get over them, because if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Step 3: Find ways to combat your excuses. You don’t have time? Skip your pre-bedtime facebook scroll and find 5 minutes in your day to put on moisturizer. Put the tube by your bed if you have to. Want to journal but always leave your notebook at home? Start typing up your thoughts in a google doc, so it’s accessible from your phone, laptop, iPad, etc. Can’t find a way to get around your perceived excuse? Send me an email, hello@jaiscurry.com, and let’s talk about it.

Step 4: Realize what makes you feel the most alive, and then do that. Do you like running and long hot baths? Do more of that, and maybe take the Pilates class that you hate off of your schedule. The more that you do the things you love, the easier it will be to do them.

What is your favorite form of self care? Tag me in your Instastories @smashyourdamngoals or write a review on iTunes for the show and let me know! You can also send me a DM on Instagram or Facebook.  I’d love to hear from you. For more information, check out my website at www.jaiscurry.com