Does anyone else find it hard to keep to their self care routine? Ironically I sometimes find it overwhelming.

Ay·May 24, 2021

Hi ladies. Does anyone else sometime feel overwhelmed or struggle to keep to their self care routine?Meditation, yoga, nature connection, exersise, healthy eating, drink enough water, daily affirmations, gratitude etc....These practices always make me feel better when i actually do them, but i often find it hard to keep at it. I loose focus, fall out of routine, get bored doing it by myself, or ironically feel overwhelmed by it all etc. I sometimes feel self care is a part time job. Just wondering if anyone else experiences this and any solutions they have found?Thanks for sharing x

Iynna·May 24, 2021

@jikajika tagging you as you may be interested in sharing your own routine!I totally agree with you @Ay that it feels like a job at the beginning until it becomes second nature. Additionally I have found that if something is not sticking it probably means it is not for you and you should iterate until you find your thing e.g meditation or journaling are two very popular forms of selfcare I know if yet these aren't my thing at all. The key is to starting somewhere and learn along the way!

JessicaDevine·May 25, 2021

This was my exact reason for building Todayist - I wanted a single, friendly, easier way to fit small pieces of self-care into my day.

Larissa88·May 25, 2021

For me, until I figured out I have ADHD and got myself medicated I had the same problem 😂 But even without that, I know that many people struggle to get into any kind of routine because making new habits is hard! I use an app called Streaks which lets you add up to 12 habits that you want to build and you just add to them as you grow your practise. Totally customisable - you choose which days and how often you want to do things etc. Also, my Apple Watch rings have me making sure I get on my mat every day and standing up every hour! This works for me because it turns the whole thing into a game and once I’ve hit a month straight on a streak I REALLY don’t want to break it so it becomes easier and easier to just take the few minutes and get it done 😊 Good luck! It’s a journey. Remember the biggest thing is to start small. Don’t try and add ALL THE HABITS at once because you’ll fail. Also, know which habits are most important to you because there are going to be days when you can’t do all of them but there may be one or two you absolutely don’t want to skip and so those are the ones you focus on when you’re having a hard time.

TheGoalGuru·May 25, 2021

As a coach, I've heard this from a number of clients and as person who *loves* habit formation I've experienced it myself. What you're describing is super relatable! Here are some of my solutions:~ Start Small & Focused: The biggest mistake I see (and make) is trying to start or keep up a whole routine at once. When starting a new routine, start 1 habit at a time. Do that habit 3 days in a row before adding a second one. I actually did a morning routine challenge on Instagram that followed this pattern, if you want to see it in practice: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKeYhIeBgf0/~ Have a Reduced Routine: I find it really helpful to have a very fast, minimal version of my morning routine on days when I just don't have the time or patience for everything. It focuses on the absolute *core* things I need to feel good (water, movement but not a full "workout", sleep) but gives me a pass on things that I know I like but don't need quite as centrally (meditation, journaling, eating perfectly nutritiously). The only rule is, I can only use it 2 days in a row before adding something back in from my full routine.~ Give Yourself a Friggin Break: All of these things that make you feel good will be there for you tomorrow or when you get to them. More than anything, remember that they are tools for supporting yourself, not requirements you must adhere to. You are doing your best and it's ok if there's not time for you and all the other responsibilities you have every single day. Making time for anything, even if its a 5 min meditation or hitting your water goal for the day, is a win. Just remember that self care isn't a singular "set it and forget it" thing -- it's a process that evolves with you!

KaraWeatherall·May 25, 2021

Yes! I've had the Calm app since August and have NEVER used it. Not once. It wasn't until I got myself a life coach and said - I want you to hold me accountable in my first session that I was able to stick to anything. It took me years to get a coach because I am not normally a procrastinator and thought it was like handholding. Yet, it was mainly when friends would ask me to run or meet me at a class that I would actually do it. It got worse with kids. TBH I am co-founder of Wellby which is a platform that makes it easier to connect with coaches and women's health experts. It's still ANOTHER thing to try to do though... unless... you submit a question to a coach or book a 1:1 with one and say - can you just motivate me? We have mini sessions - just 10 minutes (WAY shorter and cheaper than traditional wellness/therapist/life coach appointments). *MY RECO* I would book someone super inspiring to hold me accountable (they all are) and they each have a slightly different style/skill and are all certified life coaches:- Tori Gordon (Breathwork, Trauma, Anxiety, Transformations, Relationships) - top 10 coach of the year on Yahoo! +600K Tik Tok (top 100 females on TT)- Emily Capshaw (Mindfulness, Meditation, Anxiety, Depression, Procrastination), - Nila (Psychologist focused on Confidence, Clarity, Holistic Wellness)- Lana Evanson (Neurolinguistic Practitioner, Getting Unstuck, Reiki, Meditation)- Samara Suber (Yoga, Meditation, Women's Empowerment, Women of Colour)Two Fitness Centric People You could book weekly check ins with or do a mini online personal training with where they just give you a plan then check on you and whether you did it:- Michele Scarlet (Fitness) - Karinavee (Fitness & Nutrition - founding trainer at Barry's)If you meet with them just say - can you meet me each week for 10 minutes and check in on how I did with Self Care? Having a HUMAN. that is no our partner/mother/friend ask us makes us feel far more accountable. Sorry for the biz mention but I think a human alarm clock (aka coach) could be a great way to hold you accountable and 10 min sessions are SO Much easier to commit to each week. (You'll get $15 when you sign up and if you DM me I can get you a customer coupon with more $$ for you to try it!)Good luck! Hit me up if you want to chat. Kara

JennineJacob·May 25, 2021

This. It sounds like you are really dedicated to finding something that works for you. Self-care is super important, but how to care for yourself is an overwhelming question. There are so many messages out there, do this, no do that, if you're not doing this then....It's crazy!One thing I have been doing with some success is to identify what HAS to be done.-Eating well-Exercise-Mental healthAnd then try to see how to make those part of my day so I don't have to think about it. LIke stuff I want to do.- Eating well- I order a meal kit box so I don't have to plan my food. Only by foods that are healthy so I don't over eat.-Exercise - I struggle with this, but I have a daily walk I take no matter what, and I always bundle it with something like picking up my son from school, running errands and listening to audio books. Right now I'm adding in 15 min on the peloton in the morning before I take a shower. DON'T OVER COMMIT.-Mental Health - I struggle with this as well, but have found keeping a "gratitude journal" where at the end of the day I list THREE GOOD THINGS that happened that day. Nothing more. It literally takes one minute, but it helps. I also practice bundling here where I listen to non-fiction audiobooks while I get ready in the morning or when doing dishes, etc. It has been super helpful.So basically, set limits. Don't overcommit, focus on what works and what you can't live without discard the rest.

jikajika·May 30, 2021

When meditation feels like a chore, you're definitely going to need to re-evaluate your self care routine. 😆I'm actually getting ready to do a "work sprint" and will be implementing a self care routine to make sure I don't burn out within that time frame. But don't be fooled. I yo-yo in and out of my self care routine all👏🏾the👏🏾time👏🏾To make it stick I'm going to put some triggers, if you will, in place. For example, to drink more water I'll put a pitcher of it on my desk with mint sprigs in it. Apparently I will CHUG water with mint in it! It's so yummy...😋💦If I wanted to meditate for an hour before jumping into work, I'd use Focusmate (https://focusmate.com/). You're doing it with an accountability partner that's most likely working on a paper, or proposal, or something else of that nature. Whatever works! 🧘🏾Eating healthy - I'd shop & food prep on Sunday, take a picture, and then post it on Reddit to get my seratonin high that I'm crushing iiiiiit! 📱💪🏾 So that whole, "know thy self" statement is pretty true. Know what triggers you, in a good way, to do the thing you're SUPPOSED to be doing - and set alllllll up in advance. You're body & mind will thank you later. 😊Though if you don't like doing something, and you're forcing it, stop doing it or find a different way to do it. For example, I can't STAND meditating! But kinetic meditating - where I "meditate" while swimming laps in a pool. I can EASILY do that for 1-hour, just having a conversation with me, myself, and I. So don't feel like you have to do it all. If you're just starting out, pick 1-2 practices to get you going. Add on as time, and your need for a new experience, opens up.