5 Tips to Implement Self Care Into Your Daily Life

 Riya Mital

Have you been scrolling on TikTok recently? Seeing people waking up at 4AM and working out for two hours every single day? You wonder to yourself, “How do they do it?”

We’ve all been there. Sometimes it feels impossible to be productive, take care of yourself, and do everything you want all in the span of 24 hours. Even though self care is important, social media exaggerates everything to the point where even practicing self care can feel like a chore. But I have a newsflash for you: you don’t have to do everything you see on social media to be productive and healthy.

You can implement self-care slowly and figure out what works for you. Here are five tips to help you!

1. Do Not Be Afraid of Sleep
There are so many people who think they can just sacrifice sleep to have more time to be ‘productive’ in their day. However, please never be afraid of sleeping when you feel tired. Chances are, the extra sleep that you get will actually make you more productive during the day. If you don’t get enough sleep, you may actually accomplish less. So, listen to your body, figure out how much sleep you need, and understand that the right amount of sleep will actually boost your productivity and energy levels, not take away from them. If you’re more productive at night, that’s totally fine, as long as you know how much sleep you need to get through the day. You can totally plan your days out to cater to your style!

2. Create a Schedule
This is the number one key to getting work done. Try creating a weekly schedule, where you incorporate time blocking. Half of the battle is creating the schedule; the other half is knowing yourself. While planning your week- be realistic. Do not cram your schedule so much that it overwhelms you and sets you up for failure. One of my favorite ways to create a schedule is through Notability on my iPad! I just find a cute template and start editing in time blocks with the writing function. But if you don’t have access to that, here is a great free time blocking website. If you’re more old fashioned and like a physical planner, you can try this planner. Start off easy, stick to it, and see if you want to add more later on. That will be key to actually sticking to the schedule. Make sure to also add in some time for you to partake in your hobbies. Doing so will make your days feel a lot more fulfilling and less stressful.

3. Do Something Active- Even if It’s Just For a Little Bit
Whether it is ten minutes or one hour, figure out when you have a little pocket of time to do something active. Adding some movement and activity in your days can really clear your head. Sometimes, if I’m feeling unmotivated or stuck, even just going on a short walk is really impactful to help lighten my mood. Youtube workouts are also great if you’re short on time! Check out one of my favorite channels here.

4. Take Your Breaks Wisely
Fatigue can come in many forms. There can be mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion. Know what types of breaks to take for your body.

• If you feel mentally exhausted, try to do something to give your brain a break; watch an episode of a show you like (Community is on Netflix and it is the ultimate comfort show!), listen to music, or meditate.
• If you feel emotionally exhausted, do some activities that make you feel at peace. Some examples that help me are reading (Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is a book I’ll recommend to everyone!), writing/journaling, drawing, and doing a face mask.
• If you feel physically exhausted, listen to your body. Take a nap, eat a good meal, or take a nice, hot shower.

5. Spontaneity Can Be Good
Although schedules are great, spontaneous plans can also be good for you. If something comes up and you want to go out or get a bite to eat--go do it! Everything can be healthy in moderation, so don’t feel guilty for choosing a little bit of fun over work sometimes. Every single day will not always be perfectly productive. But, if you want to spend time with the people that you love and do something fun, then don’t feel guilty. The work can wait.

Self care is key to being your most productive, happy, and healthy self. However, it should never be a stressful thing. Implement these tips into your routine slowly and you will be sure to see differences. Remember, this will take some trial and error, but that is completely okay. Once you find what works, go out and conquer the world!