The Key to Thriving: Creating a Sustainable Self-Care Routine

We live in an increasingly busy world where self-care often falls by the wayside. Yet taking time for self-care is vital for both our mental and physical health. As life and health coach Rachel Letham said in a recent webinar, "Self care is not an indulgence. It is a necessity to keep us at that grounded level."

So what does it really mean to practice self-care? And how can we make self-care a consistent habit when life feels so hectic?

Defining Self-Care

Self-care is ultimately about taking care of your health and wellbeing through intentional actions. As Rachel describes, it's "the practice of taking an active role in protecting our own well being and happiness, particularly during periods of stress."

Common self-care activities like bubble baths and yoga can be wonderful treats. But a sustainable self-care routine extends beyond the spa day. It's built through small yet powerful daily practices that nourish us physically and mentally.

The 7 Pillars of Self-Care

Self-care may look different for each person. But the International Self-Care Foundation identifies seven core pillars for overall health:

1. Knowledge and health literacy

2. Mental wellbeing

3. Physical activity

4. Healthy eating

5. Risk avoidance

6. Good hygiene

7. Responsible use of medical products and services

As Rachel suggests, don't feel that you need to tackle every pillar. Focus on the areas that feel most nourishing or relevant for your lifestyle and needs.

Start with the Basics

When life feels extra demanding, return to self-care basics before adding new practices:

Get grounded through your five senses. Take a few minutes to actively notice sights, sounds, textures, scents, and tastes in your environment. This sensory awareness gets you out of constant "doing" mode.

Breathe deeply. Deep 4-7-8 breathing (inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale for 8) triggers a relaxation response and clears your mind.

Identify your own "energy leaks." Make a list of unfinished tasks draining your bandwidth, like home repairs or administrative work. Systematically tackle them one by one.

Make sure basic needs are met, including proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, movement, belonging and self-expression. As Rachel suggests, halt when overwhelmed and ask if you're hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Adjust what you can.

Choose Practices That Nourish You

Not sure where to start? Consider what nourishes you mentally and physically. For example:

Mental Self-Care

• Starting a gratitude journal

• Scheduling relaxing activities like reading or puzzles

• Calling a friend once a week

Physical Self-Care

• Establishing an exercise routine that works for you

• Preparing nutritious meals and snacks

• Getting out into nature

Set Yourself Up for Success

Transforming self-care from occasional treat into consistent habit requires some planning:

Start small. Add one tiny self-care habit at a time through "habit stacking." For instance, Rachel stacked 20 daily squats onto her existing habit of boiling water for coffee.

Use checklists to help ingrain new self-care routines. Track habits over time and celebrate when you show up for yourself.

Schedule self-care appointments and protect that time. Inform others about the appointments so they respect the boundaries.

Get an accountability buddy to share goals and progress. Social support helps cement new patterns.

Adapt practices as needed. Recharge needs change across seasons and personal circumstances. Review what works regularly.

Showing Up for Yourself

At the end of the day, sustainable self-care comes down to one key practice: showing up for yourself.

Much like you'd methodically prepare for a long trip, take time to regularly check-in about what you need in each moment and season. Tend to the small tasks that help you feel grounded and whole.

The more you purposefully planted in self-care practices, the more gracefully you'll weather life's storms - and the more fruitful results (creativity, connection, etc.) you'll cultivate.

This all takes gentleness, patience and perseverance. But the rewards - for both yourself and others - are well worth it.

As Rachel suggests, "The more solid and well rooted your tree is in the ground, the more easily your tree can grow, can spread its branches, it can help others to shelter from the storm."

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