We all know that working out, eating right and getting enough sleep are good and important things. The research and so many magazine articles tell us this, in so many ways. But almost all of us struggle with getting this done on a consistent, long-term basis. It can be frustrating and discouraging to not feel good about your self-care. Here are some tips to help make this a priority that actually happens in the long run.
Write down a self-care vision for yourself that is based on a successful year. We all need to be inspired to make changes by a great vision. Here’s an example: “By the end of 2019, I see myself doing what it takes to weigh X pounds, feel more energy and having more positivity.”
Get a support system of people who believe in you. The longer you have been struggling with making changes in some area, the more your brain is wired to fail and be discouraged, it’s what you are used to. That’s why you need a few people to meet with you, encourage and keep you accountable to being the best you can be.
List the usual suspects of distractions. Sometimes we don’t make self care a priority because life gets us off track: family concerns, job issues, health issues, too much social media time, etc. But there’s a difference between a true crisis and something we can reschedule or change. Make a list of the things that have derailed you and work out the difference between the unavoidable and the avoidable. This will clarify you in your head.
Make a calendar. We tend to do what is physically on the calendar. Calendarizing makes a priority of the events that have to happen to make the vision happen: what days and times you will work out, when you will go to what meetings, etc. Put it in your smartphone and on your fridge.
A priority is something that stays in our life and our mind, front and center. Best to you this next year!
John Townsend, Ph.D.