Do you suffer from recurrent headaches, insomnia or inability to have a relaxing sleep, stomach upset, and lack of appetite, low energy, mental distress, emotional imbalance, and irritation?

You need some self-care ASAP.

If at any point in your life you are unable to create a balance, then you need self-care. For example, if you live with a bunch of crazies as roommates and are always unhappy or stressed, self-care is the answer.

Self-care is the act of deliberately indulging in activities that make us burst forth like a spring bloom. It means taking control of your emotional, physical, mental, financial, spiritual, and every other aspect of your life. Every step you take to cater to the well-being of yourself is self-care. After all, who would not want some minutes, hours, or days of self-love? There is the need to recharge, be refreshed, and be ready for the road ahead, and having a self-care routine will help you achieve these.

Before forging ahead, remember that self-care is different for everyone. It is not a one-size-fits-all thing. The best part about self-care is to do what is good for you.

Self-care refers to different things for different people. For some, a day in bed without disturbance or watching their favorite movies is self-care. However, it is crucial to note that everyone approaches this seemingly simple activity differently.

So, what are the benefits of self-care?

• Self-Care Improves Your Physical Health – Self-care reminds you to critically look at yourself and improve on it. Simple activities like brushing, flossing, exercising, sleeping, or eating well are things we often forget to do as we pursue the good life, but they are beneficial to our personal well-being.
• Self-Care Reduces Stress, Anxiety, and Depression – This idea is tied to the point above. Simple practices like running a bath, yoga, meditation, music, or indulging in a favorite hobby are self-care ideas. They also allow you to relax, calm your mood, and boost your mental health and consequently, your overall well-being.
• Self-Care Prevents the Onset of Mental Health Issues – Simple changes to your routine like eating well, sleeping longer, taking a day off to relax are ways to help restore and maintain your sanity. While self-care is not a substitute for professional help, it is a reliable way to prevent and manage mental health issues, especially in women.
• Self-Care Increases Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence – Self-care allows you to concentrate on the things that make you happy. For example, by taking a longer bath, you become more relaxed and sure that your skin is refreshed, which also boosts your self-worth and confidence.

You live in such a demanding and hectic world and sometimes, life can get so busy and overwhelming that you forget to care for yourself. These self-care ideas allow you to create a comfortable balance to the chaos around you.

Women all over the world are working themselves to death. Whether as a career women, a mom, a wife, a friend, a confidant, or whatever, they are always in a hurry to satisfy everyone but themselves.

An African proverb says, “no matter how much you solve people’s problems, it will never run out.”

However, you can run out if you do not slow down. So, go at your pace. Happiness starts with you.

Here are 12 self-care ideas and routines for women.

1. Go for a Medical Check

Go for a medical check—and I do not mean over-the-counter chatting with the friendly pharmacist, but in a real hospital. A medical check is not necessary because something is wrong but to ensure nothing is going wrong. Many women, especially those in their early 40s, 50s, or even late 30s, never get a medical routine until something goes wrong. Do not wait to be a victim of life’s unbalances—go for a medical check today.

2. Be Kind to Yourself

For some funny reason, women are never kind to themselves. They live in this mental bubble that everyone’s kindness is ours. Hold it and take a couple of steps back.
No, your happiness is just as important as the next person. Sacrifice is a woman’s thing, but self-neglect and denial are not a part of it. If you can be kind to others, be kind to yourself, too.

3. Take a Spa Day

You deserve it, and it is a relaxing way to knock aches and pains away with a deep massage, pedicure, manicure, and facial. You will come out of it looking sexier, more confident, and more relaxed.

4. Do Something You Love and Enjoy

This can be anything you love but have not done in a long time. It can be reading a book, having a lunch date with your girlfriends, or glancing through your favorite magazine. Remember, it must be something that you love doing.

5. Define a Morning Routine

How are your mornings like? If it is like the regular, change it. Add some warm lemon water as a detox start, plank for 30 seconds to boost your strength, and eat breakfast. The goal is to do something that triggers your happy hormones and makes your day as bright as the sun.

6. Start a Self-Care Journal

Journaling has become a viral habit since the pandemic. Not only does it remind you of where you are, but it is also a technique to unwind emotionally and mentally. If you haven’t started a journal, this is the time to do just that. Overall, journaling is a great way to reflect on each day and its impact on you.

7. Take Your Sleep Time Seriously

Women are the first to wake up and the last people to sleep every night. While it is a good habit to watch over those you love, you need to love yourself too, and sleep is a relaxing way to start. Create a sleep routine and stick to it.

For example, make it a priority to sleep by 9 pm and wake at 5 am. This gives you about eight hours of sleep, which is good. Never push your tiredness beyond the boundaries of your strength. Sleep.

8. Learn to Say No

Nobody ever died from saying or hearing the words “no,” so learn it. You cannot give what you do not possess and believe me, selfish love is never a good thing. If you cannot do a task, just say no.

9. Be Unapologetic About Your Actions

Aren’t you tired of explaining your life to everyone? Stop it! This is the time to quit being apologetic for begin you and just live life. If you know in your heart that your actions are healthy, beneficial, and productive, never apologize.

10. Forgive Your Past

If there is one thing that is holding you back from enjoying your present, it is your past. We all have pasts, some of them we overlook, and others we cannot move past it. The only reason is our inability to forgive. Settle down, go through it and forgive. You do not have to understand it, you just have to move on.

11. Bask in the Silence

The world is too noisy, and we are constantly in the middle of chaos. If you have never tried this as a self-care idea, include it in your next day off. There is the need for stillness to enable us to appreciate our surroundings. Acts of silence could be watching the sunset or drinking your morning coffee without any interruptions.

12. Practice Conscious Living

Conscious living is being aware of your every move, decision, and its effect on your life and others. Most times, we drift through life like a piece of log on an open ocean with no sense of direction. When you practice conscious living, you are aware of yourself and what your presence signifies in the world around you.

How to Create a Self-Care Routine

In addition, here are some tips and ideas on how to create a self-care routine:

• Do the things you loved or love.
• Go back to the simple things of life.
• Be aware of your current situation (do not do more than what you can handle).
• Remember that it is about yourself first.
• Do not wait until the weekend. Use every free time you have.
• Start small and be consistent.
• Focus on activities that build you physically, emotionally, and mentally.
• Repeat the ideas that work well and add something new.
• Use sticky notes to remind yourself.
• It is not about perfection.
• Go at your own pace.

Final Thoughts

Now, these are self-care ideas that anyone can add to or take away from, but make sure you choose practices that work for you. Remember to include activities that boost your mental and emotional health, too.

Self-care is not just about physical health and outward appearances. It is a complete method of transforming yourself by caring about your needs.