How to Stick to Your Self Care Routine

You know self care is important, but you still find it difficult to stick to your self care routine.

Sound familiar? 

I have been on my self care journey for awhile now. I have experienced several barriers to adding self care into my life.  These barriers are common for many people looking to indulge in self care and they can be very frustrating.

This post is going to address five common barriers to self care and how to overcome them so you can stick to your self care routine.

1. Guilt

One of the most common barriers to committing to self care is guilt. 

You may feel like your free time should be dedicated to helping others whether it’s your family, your friends, etc.  So when you start considering the idea of indulging in self care, you may start to feel guilty that it’s all about you and not anyone else.

In my personal self care journey, I have had to confront self care guilt many times.  I felt selfish and that I was being unfair to others.  However, I have found several ways to overcome this feeling.

First, I had to come to terms with the fact that my needs are important, just like all of the people I want to support.  Everyone deserves to take time for themselves and work on their physical and mental health – and that includes you.

Another way that I overcame self care guilt was making an important realization. When I tend to my own needs first, I can better support the people around me.  In order to help someone else to the capacity they deserve, you need to help yourself first.

Additionally, you will find that your friends and family will be understanding when you need to take time for yourself.  Any supportive and loving friend or family member will want you to take care of yourself.

2. Lack of Time

Another common barrier to self care is having a lack of time in your schedule to dedicate to taking care of yourself.

It can be really hard to find time to exercise, meditate, do a face mask, and whatever other forms of self care you love to do in a day when you also have to work, do chores, etc.  In fact, you may be thinking it sounds outright impossible.

That’s why I learned that self care is all about balance!  Don’t try to overextend yourself and do all of the self care activities you can think of every single day. It’s just not realistic.

Instead, try committing to one aspect of self care each day if you can.  And this can be something really simple that takes ten minutes or less. 

Enjoy a cup of tea, take a few moments to write a journal entry, read one chapter of a book before bed…find something small that helps you feel more relaxed.

Commit to self care that you can also easily fit into your busy schedule without feeling like your overextending yourself. You’ll be more likely to stick to your self care routine.

3. Budget

“Self care is too expensive” is often a common reason why more people don’t indulge in the practice. 

It may be true that a pricy massage, pedicure treatments, etc. can really add up. However, I have learned that there are tons of self care ideas you can use that are also completely free.

The next time you’re looking to add some self care to your day but don’t want to break the bank, try spending some time outside or taking a nap.  Other free self care ideas could be meditation, journaling, stretching, or listening to some relaxing music.

You can also find less expensive ways to get the self care you want.  For example, if you love getting pedicures, try giving yourself a pedicure at home instead.

Additionally, I found it helpful to overcome this barrier by establishing a monthly budget for myself.  This budget included living expenses such as rent, utilities, food, etc.  However, I also budgeted for fun and self care activities, such as my streaming service subscriptions, hair appointments, etc. 

When you include self care into your budget, you never have to worry about spending too much on self care. You already had it outlined and accounted for in your budget so no need for a second thought.

4. Motivation

Another factor that I had to confront during my self care journey was finding motivation to do self care activities.

When life gets stressful and you start to feel burned out, finding motivation to do anything above the bare minimum can be difficult. It becomes really hard to stick to your self care routine.

It can be a lot easier to skip your workout, order the unhealthy take-out, and ditch your skin care regime when you feel tired and overwhelmed.  However, what I learned is that when you feel the most burned out is also the time when you could benefit from some self care the most.

And as always, its all about maintaining balance.  If you had a really long day at work and have no energy, perhaps skip your workout that day.  But don’t avoid the gym for a week or more straight. 

It’s okay to indulge your unhealthy cravings every once in a while. But try to make healthy choices where you can, even if you are ordering out to save time and energy.

When I feel burned out, I also find it helpful to seek support from others where I can.  Try talking to a counselor or therapist.  Additionally, lean on your support system when you need to – that’s what they are there for! 

No motivation to cook a healthy meal?  Ask your spouse if they can cook for the night.  Feeling exhausted and need some rest?  Ask your parents to take the kiddos for the day.

Another way to find the motivation for self care is to set specific and attainable goals.  Perhaps your goals is to exercise three times a week.  Setting a specific goal will help you stick to it because you will feel a sense of accountability.

5. Consistency

Lastly, one of the most common barriers to self care is finding consistency in your self care routine. 

Sure, you might do a face mask for “Self Care Sunday” or occasionally decide to meditate. But you find it difficult to consistently engage in self care.

I have had the same struggle along my self care journey.  Sometimes I’d get excited about a new face mask or a new exercise routine, and then in a week I would forget about it.

The best way to establish consistent self care is to establish habits.  Habits are things that you do without needing to think about it. So once you develop a healthy habit you will no longer need to consciously focus on when and how to do that task.

Examples of healthy self care habits to work on may include meditation, exercise, eating a healthy breakfast, making your bed, journaling, and taking your makeup off at the end of the day.

Pick a consistent time you will do your desired habit each day to create a routine.  Perhaps you decide to meditate when you wake up at 7 am each morning. 

The more you meditate at that time, the easier you will find it is to consistently meditate every day.

In addition to finding it easier to be consistent, you will likely notice that you experience much greater benefits from these acts of self care because you are doing them on a consistent basis. 

As you see those benefits manifest, you will then be more motivated to keep doing those self care activities. You’ll know they work for you, so you’ll want to stick to it.

For example, applying a skin care product may help your skin when you apply it once.  However, to reap the full benefits of that product, you need to apply it consistently.

The most important factor to remember when overcoming consistency though is that no one is perfect.  There will be days when you miss your healthy self care habits, and that is okay! 

Forgive yourself when you falter on your habits, and celebrate your success when you start building up those healthy habits. 

That’s the five barriers that may prevent you from being able to stick to your self care routine.

Whether you have been interested in self care for years, or are just starting out on your self care journey, you will likely experience these five barriers to self care at some point along the way.  However, with the tools in this post, you will be able to face these barriers head on and overcome them.

Use these tactics to overcome each barrier and become your healthiest and happiest self!

Comment below with how you stick to your self care routine.

For more self care tips, read more here:

• 43 Self Care Day Ideas at Home
• Self Care Day Ideas to Do With Friends
• Simple Self Care Ideas to Do in Under 10 Minutes

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