Daily Self Care Checklist (with free printable!)
Are you always putting everyone else’s needs before yours? Do you feel like you’ve aged another year at the end of the day? Mama, you need to start taking care of yourself! This self care checklist will keep you on track and will help breathe some life back into the most important person – YOU!
Self care is all the buzz these days, isn’t it? I think it gets a bad rap though. When you say self care, everyone thinks of bubble baths with a glass of champagne, a full-on spa day or a trip to Miami with the girls. While those sound very nice, it’s not realistic for many of us so most people poo-poo it.
I believe self care can be small, mindful (and simple!) moments throughout the day that make us feel good.
As a mom of two boys and one with PANS, self care is a must. When my son was diagnosed with PANS, I became so frantic and crazed (pretty much a hot mess), I felt like I wasn’t even in my own body. By the end of each day, I felt like I added years on to my life. One night I looked in the mirror and I didn’t recognize myself. I knew something had to change.
How could I be a good mom if I was frazzled all the time? I couldn’t! So I made myself a priority. I started working on taking care of myself through small, actionable steps throughout the day and I felt sooo much better.
If you have kids, a child with special needs or you are a caretaker – this self care checklist is a must. Even if you don’t have kids, you will benefit from self care. Everyone can!
What’s on the Self Care Checklist?
I break my daily self care habits down into four main categories:
- Move my body
- Hydrate
- Take care of myself
- Feed my soul
Let’s take a look at each category.
Move My Body
Getting some movement in throughout the day is vital for our mental health. Think about how great you feel after a workout or a long walk. Energized right?! Me too.
You don’t need a gym membership to move your body every day. I love to take my dog for a walk, dance with my kids or play basketball with my son. It all counts!
You can find tons of quick workouts and yoga routines on youtube. Just 10-15 minutes is enough to make you feel great.
Hydrate
You may be wondering why I have hydrate as a whole category on the self care checklist. It is super important you guys! Did you know that most people are dehyrated?
Think about the amount of caffeinated drinks you have per day (I’m super guilty of this). All of those drinks are sucking your body dry! You need to drink like four glasses of water to make up for each caffeinated drink. I just made up that stat but it feels so true.
While you do need to drink a lot of water throughout the day, try mixing it up by making a green juice or smoothie (my green lemonade is delish). Or eat super hydrating fruits like melon and pineapple. So good!
Staying hydrated will lead to fewer food cravings and the afternoon slump will be a thing of the past.
Take Care of Myself
Alright, let’s not forget about some of the things Mama needs to feel good. Like a shower and clean clothes. It sounds silly, but it can make you feel so good!
Skincare is huge for me. I love giving myself a facial massage or gua sha treatment. Doing an oil cleanse or DIY face mask makes me feel glowy and beautiful. It’s not for anyone else, just for me to feel good in my skin. And that’s what I want for you!
You can find tons of DIY skincare recipes here.
Feed My Soul
This is probably my favorite category on the self care checklist. Feeding my soul makes me feel alive!
So what do I mean by feeding my soul?
It means doing something that makes me feel grounded or even giddy. Like opening a book I’ve been dying to read (even if I only have time to read five pages), doing a five minute massage or tapping routine that makes me feel calm, grounded and excited for life or even taking five minutes to list things I’m grateful for (trying to expand beyond family, roof over my head and food really feeds my soul).
It could be as simple as going outside barefoot and feeling the earth beneath your feet. Or feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin. Maybe it’s snuggling up with a cup of tea and reading a book to your little one. Anything that gives you that feeling of groundedness or giddiness will feed your soul.
How do you use a self care checklist?
So now that you have a general idea of the four categories on your self care checklist, how do you incorporate this into your life?
Print the checklist out (you can grab your free copy at the bottom of this post) and keep a copy in your planner or on the fridge – wherever you look the most throughout the day. Refer to the list and try to take action on one or two (or more depending on how much time you have) items throughout the day.
You could also keep it saved on your phone or computer – that way you can click on the links I provided.
At the end of each day, tap into how you are feeling. If you feel frazzled, you didn’t take enough time for you. If you feel content and happy, you rocked the self care checklist.
Are you ready to become a self care rockstar?
I hope so! Grab the checklist and start working on taking action in the four categories every day and you will feel like a whole new person!
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