When building an online empire, it’s super easy to get sucked into all things business and let self-care go by the wayside.
Like, how many times have you canceled (or rescheduled) a deep tissue massage because you “needed to work” or skipped the healthy lunch you planned for an easier, perhaps less-healthy option so you could squeeze in another client call or hour of admin?
Point proven.
That’s why today I’m not focusing on what self-care is or why you need to make it a priority (I’m sure you already know that!), but rather on the easiest ways to ensure you start treating self-care like the non-negotiable, life-and-sanity-saving task it is. So, let’s dive in:
1) Create Self-Care Appointments (and Book Real Appointments in Advance!)
My top tip? Schedule self-care and treat it like a crucial business meeting with your fave online influencer or entrepreneurial idol. If it’s a real appointment you need to make (like a fresh haircut or updating your Luminary mani), book them all at the beginning of the month. Be sure to pre-book other self-care activities, too, like workout classes. (There’s more to self-care than a nice blowout!)
But here’s the real important part: Input all your self-care ‘appointments’ into your calendar even if you don’t have to physically leave your house for it. Whether you need a bubble bath or a solo dance par-tay, pop it in your Google calendar. (Yes, you can put “Do a YouTube pilates class” on your cal–as silly as it might seem at first.) Then, commit to it and show up just like you would for anything else. (And be sure you ‘block it out’ in your scheduling tool so clients or others can’t book calls with you during said timeframes.)
Also, if your self-care activity isn’t an appointment, per se, but rather an activity you want to make sure you make time for – like a quickie breathwork break or chair yoga stretches – set up a reminder on your phone. Bada-bing, bada-boom.
2)Rock an App or Online Tool
If you already religiously use Asana (or Trello, or Notion) to (beautifully) organize your biz, keep launches on track & get your brilliant marketing out into the world, why not set up a similar digital system to keep your self-care goals in check?
It sounds a little over-the-top, but if you like to use apps to organize your biz, you can easily use an app like Asana to map out a weekly self-care schedule, set self-care goals, map out a self-care To Do List and/or assign specific dates to your appointments, too.
Not only will you get the satisfaction (and let’s be honest, dopamine hit) that comes with ticking an item off your To Do List, you’ll also be able to see your business tasks and self-care agenda in one place.
3) Grab a Self-Care Planner
Want to track–and achieve–a goal? Put it in a planner. While you need self-care goals if it stresses you out, it can be super helpful to have a planner specifically for self-care.
There are a wide array of cute & functional self-care planners available – a quick search on Amazon or Etsy populates hundreds of results! – and the one you choose will vary on what types of activities you’d like to track. Looking to up your water intake? Find a planner with a water tracker. Want to move your body for 20-minutes a day no matter what? Be sure your planner has a workout tracking component.
A high-quality planner will also include space for you to reflect and document your self-care journey. What worked and what didn’t? What did you love – and what activity could you skip moving forward?
Using a paper planner like this is especially smart if one of your self-care goals is to have less screen time or do a weekly technology detox, too.
4) Use a Self-Care or Goal-Setting App
There’s an app for everything these days. And that obviously goes for all things self-care and wellness, too. From meditation apps like Calm and Headspace to fitness apps like MyFitnessPal and Noom to the Gratitude: Self-Care Journal app – there really is an app for that.
Most apps allow you to not only set goals, but also include other helpful features like the ability to prompt you when it’s time to perform your self-care activity. Some even gamify the process or let you know how many days you’ve completed your activity in a row.
You can look for a more general self-care app, or pick an app specific to your self-care activity of choice. And it doesn’t need to be expensive: There are lots of free trials and completely free self care apps out there, too.
To wrap up, no matter what types of self-care you indulge in – and no matter how you decide to make it happen – I hope you can clearly see the benefit. Self-care isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity, especially as an entrepreneur. Now go take care of yourself, gorgeous!
