By EMILY BERNHARDT
YOUTH FIRST
Self-care is something that can look different for every person. There are people who like to cuddle up on the couch with a book, do a face mask, take a bubble bath; or even people who like to clean. There are so many ways to partake in self-care, and it is so important to make sure you are setting aside time to de-stress and have some “you time.” A lot of people can acknowledge that self-care is important, but they may find it hard to find the time to focus on themselves when their hectic schedule is constantly pulling them in different directions. Here are a couple of tips to help you prioritize making time for yourself.
One way to help make time for self-care is to create a self-care plan. Write out a list of different self-care activities you can do and decide how much time you can devote to each activity. After you know how much time you need, you can start scheduling time for self-care in your weekly schedules and stick to it! For instance, if you know that you would like to take a bubble bath for 30 minutes and you also know that you have Friday evenings free, you can plan it out for Friday from 6-6:30 p.m. Once you have planned something out, treat it like you would all other important events and prioritize it because it is just as important.
Another tip to help make sure there is enough time in your week to focus on yourself is to start saying no to other things more often. We live in a society in which people often offer too much of themselves to other people. Say no to babysitting the neighbor’s kids if that means you will then have time for yourself that evening. At times, it can feel selfish saying no to the requests of others; but it is a necessary skill to learn and will help you begin to prioritize yourself and your needs.
One final tip to help you find time for self-care – re-evaluate your current schedule. Maybe your spouse or kids can help you with the daily household chores if they aren’t already. There may even be things on your schedule that aren’t essential! If you find yourself looking through your schedule seeing things that don’t actually have to be done, use that extra time for self-care activities instead.
The important thing to remember is that you are just as important as the people around you, and you should treat yourself as good as you treat other people in your life. Without taking the time for self-care, we become more irritable, stressed and less available for the people we love. In order to fill other people’s cups, we must make sure our cups are filled as well. Even though it can feel like there is not enough time for self-care, there is; sometimes we just have to learn how to fit it in and prioritize it. Prioritize yourself today.
References – C. (2021, April 8). How To Make Time For Self-Care. The Beauty Deep Life. https://thebeautydeeplife.com/how-to-make-time-for-self-care/
Emily Bernhardt, MSW, serves as Youth First social worker at St. James and Sts. Peter and Paul Schools in Haubstadt; Holy Cross School in Fort Branch; and St. Joseph School in Princeton.