By: Kaitlyn Mellom, Advocacy Intern

Self care is as important for your physical health as it is your mental and emotional health. A self care routine can make you feel more energetic and engaged and can lead to a higher level of productivity. While it can be difficult to prioritize time devoted to yourself in this fast paced world we have become accustomed to, here are some ways to ensure self care becomes a part of your weekly (or daily!) routine.

Find what relaxes you: Self care does not have to be time consuming or expensive, it can be as simple as taking 5 minutes to meditate wherever you are or a basic yoga Youtube video such as this one. It may take some time to find something that fills your self care needs but there are many resources and ideas available. Whatever you decide on, devote your self care time to that and only that for as long as you need.
Mark it on your calendar: Having a day and time visible in your calendar will allow you to schedule things around the self care, while also making it easier to follow through on. It may also be helpful to try to coordinate your self care so it is on the same day every week, so that as time goes on, that day becomes your “self care day”.
Physical health is important, too: Eating well, getting enough sleep every night, and staying active are all important habits to have. This does not have to mean that you run 3 miles a day and only eat salad (although kudos to you if you do). An important step in a healthy state of mind is living a healthy lifestyle, so go for that walk, get in at least 7 hours of sleep each night, and eat the cupcake because, why not?
Do not compromise your self care for anything! Even if you have the busiest week ever and you have to schedule something over your self care time, it is really important to find time at other points in the week. It may be just 5 minutes of self care but it will allow you to check in on yourself and ensure that you remain in a healthy state of mind.
And, most importantly, remember it is okay to take time for yourself.

5 Easy Steps to Practice Self-Care