I don't know why it has taken me so long to start doing this but I have realised this past year just how important self care actually is and why I really need to start practicing it in so many aspects of life. For far too long I wasn't taking care of myself I was constantly 100mph either working, working on the blogs or just doing anything to stay productive I was getting burnt out and ill, something needed to change so as I told Liam just a few weeks ago it is time I start investing in myself. 

Now when I told him he looked confused but once I explained it to him he seemed to grasp what I actually meant. This year I am determined to become the best version of me and to do that I need to step aside and put me first more often than I already am. For years now I haven't felt relaxed, got enough sleep and haven't prioritized a lot of areas of my life, even with Liam we don't do things together which we need to change. 

Part of investing in myself is going to involve a bit of shopping for better quality items that are treats that will last me a while and help me get my perfect clothing style at long last but the biggest chunk of investing in myself is going to be taking time out to practice self care. 

I don't need to be going out shopping every week to stay busy and feel happy there are other things that I can do that are going to be a lot more beneficial in the long run and also help me achieve other goals I have set myself too without stressing me. So here are the little bits of self care I am going to try adding into my daily life to just switch off... 

Set a routine 

Routine has always been a big thing for me but the pandemic totally through me off so I am now going to try get into an all new routine where I can perform at my best daily and get things done without having to sacrifice sleep or other things. I won't go too into the routine on this post as I will have one in the future when I have nailed the routine but it is going to look a little like this... 

Week days : Wake up early, workout, shower, work. Then on an evening it will be 2-3 nights a week working on the blogs, 2 a week will be fitness classes then one will be simply doing nothing. Followed by minimum of 1 hour relaxing time before bed. 

Weekends : Wake up early, workout, shower, football (if it is on that week), 2 hours on blog if needed, housework, switch off time.

Sundays will also include a bit of a reset which will be a case of planning for the week ahead and getting outfits/workout clothes sorted for the week ahead so I aren't messing around. 

I am hoping a routine like this that I can easily stick to will help clear up time and just help me feel a bit more relaxed as I will know exactly what I am doing and when rather than panicking and leaving things until the last minute. 

1 hour a day phone free

This is going to be a big one as it is something I haven't done before but know I could benefit from massively. I want to go a minimum of 1 hour per day without my phone, it is certainly a big distraction and I spend a lot of time scrolling endlessly through social media which I could easily cut out. This hour phone free will be either getting lost in a video game or getting lost in a book. Although I do want to have 30 mins to 1 hour pre bedtime to read anyway as I think it will help me sleep much better. 

Get outdoors more 

We did this during the pandemic and I felt great so I am adding this into my self care routine. Whether it is a walk, a run, an outdoor workout or even a camping trip I just want to embrace the outdoors a lot more than I already do as that fresh air does me the world of good. We are already planning on weekly walks and running a few times a week but I am sure now the weather is improving we can increase that even more. 

Workout daily 

Working out makes me feel so good and surprisingly if I workout in a morning I feel much more energized during the day. When I am working out that is all I am focusing on at that moment and I have noticed my mental health massively improving when I work out too so I am adding daily workouts to the schedule, even if  I can only do 30 minutes some days it is better than nothing and there is currently nothing better than moving my body. I will be sticking to my training plan but I might add in a few bonus workouts too with some stretching etc as that is something I will certainly benefit from.  

Monthly date night 

As I said earlier me and Liam don't do much just the two of us so I want to make sure at least once a month we have a night just us two to watch a film, go to the cinema, play a game anything really just so we have no phones and just enjoy each others company. We used to be really good at this then life got busy, we moved in together and just started doing our own things but fingers crossed we can change that. 

Monthly / Bi-Monthly Massage 

This is a bit of a bonus one but I think this will just be a nice treat where again I can just switch of whilst my body is getting looked after. With the amount of working out I plan on doing and the types of working out I will be doing I think this will be good for me in the long run and ensure that my body isn't aching too much. Plus I have wanted a sports massage for so long but keep putting it off for various reasons, maybe adding it into my routine monthly or even every few months will be a good thing. 

It is funny how looking at this now I am realising that by doing these things other areas of my life are going to benefit so much and I can't believe I am only just going to start doing these things. By doing these things I should make good progress towards my goals for the year but I should also end up feeling much more relaxed and calm compared to how I am currently and who knows it could also help me become more productive in the long run. I am looking forward to seeing how this plays out for me and keep checking my social media as I will be posting more about this on there. 

What sort of self care do you add into your life?