6 Ways To Establish Self-Care

Laqwanda Roberts-Buckley, MSSW

Executive Director

​Self-care comes in many forms of activities to include reading, watching a movie, alone time or other things. The important thing is that whatever you are doing allows you to detach from what is going on around you and re-energizes you.

The best thing about self-care is that it can be both random and planned. It does not matter which one, all that matters is that it gets done. A random activity such as taking a walk during a break at work is just as meaningful as taking a regular walk every Saturday morning.
When it comes to self-care it is important to just do it.

Another great thing about all of this is that it does not have to be boring. Learning to re-energize yourself can be just as exciting as any other activities. They can be done with a group or solo. It’s all your choice and all in your control.

Despite the level of direction a person can take their self-care, sometimes it can seem a little difficult to thinks of new things to do. After a while, repeating the same thing over and over again can become boring. That’s why it’s vital to keep things fresh so that you remain refreshed.
To help you along here are a few creative helpful ways to keep self-care exciting.

1. Connect With Others. When we are attempting to accomplish things on our own, it can seem a little isolating. Connecting with others allows for opportunities for additional motivation. You might not want to do something when you truly need to and having someone else to encourage you to take that step can really help.
2. Ask For Suggestions. The same group that you connect with can also offer new ideas on how to best care for yourself. As people begin to share what they have or have not done, it can easily get your mind going on how you can expand the things you do. This does not mean you have to do an activity with someone but two heads are better than one when you are thinking about what’s next.
3. Schedule Time For Yourself. Yes, I know that things can be random and there is nothing wrong with that. However, setting a specific time for yourself makes things easier for you to know that a point of relaxation is coming in your day. This moment becomes your anticipated exhale from your daily or weekly troubles.
4. Write An Activities List. This may seem simple but some of us forget what is simple. Writing a list down means that you don’t have to pull what you need to do out of thin air. You simply leave your list in a place you remember or on your phone and go to it when needed.
5. Get a Buddy. Yes, I know that you can do things on your own. That’s the great thing about self-care. Having a budding to do activities with is a great way to strengthen a relationship and have some accountability. Although connecting with other people generally is great as mentioned, there is something like having a friend that adds a sprinkle of special to it.
6. When In Doubt Google It. With the internet, anything is possible to find. The internet is how you and I are connected at this moment. Google is just a simple yet fast way to get to what you need in terms of learning about self-care and new activities.
   

There are many ways to establish a self-care routine. No one way is better than the other. However, the best routine is the routine that is started. It does not have to be perfect. And it does not have to be scheduled or random. It just has to exist. Life does not stop happening to any of us. We all will face its ups and downs. So it’s vital that we have self-care activities to help us along.

Roberts-Buckley, L. (2018). 6 Helpful Ways To Establish Self-Care. Psych Central. Retrieved on December 31, 2019, from https://blogs.psychcentral.com/self-care/2018/10/6-ways/

Laqwanda Roberts-Buckley, MSSW

​​Laqwanda Roberts-Buckley, MSSW, is the Founder of Healing Black Women,  a Certified Life Coach, Reiki Practitioner, and Mental Health Advocate. She has served the mental health community as a public speaker, crisis line counselor, and therapist. She routinely opens the doorway to her emotional self to encourage the hearts of others through lifestyle video blogs for her Youtube channel Laqwanda’s Heart with nearly 32,000 subscribers. It is her desire to simply inspire others to discover peace along their journey in life. You can follow Laqwanda on Instagram @Laqwandasheart