INSIDE: Make your well-being more of a priority WITHOUT feeling guilty with my FREE printable self-care plan. This post takes you through the benefits of having a self-care plan and how to easily create your own by using my FREE self-care plan printable!
The self-care plan…
Self-care is one of my most favourite topics to talk about on the blog. I firmly believe that whilst our kids, spouse and home need our attention, we need to give ourselves attention too – and without feeling guilty about doing it. But how do we do that? How do we find time to take care of ourselves as well as everything else when we’re a busy mum?
By creating a self-care plan!
In this post, I’m sharing what a self-care plan is, why I love having one and why as a fellow busy mum, you NEED one too! PLUS, because I love a good excuse to create a printable, I’ve created a FREE printable Self-Care Plan worksheet for you to download to help you create your own! You’ll find it in my Subscriber’s Resource Library along with tons of other great cheatsheets and checklists all designed to help you create a life you LOVE. To get your hands on a copy, simply fill in your details below.
So, are you ready to discover what a self-care plan is and how to create your own? Let’s dive in!
The struggle with finding time for you…
When was the last time you took some time for yourself? Some proper quality time where you rested and recharged? I’m betting it was a while ago. Finding time for a spot of ‘me time’ is easier said than done. As busy mums, we’re at the beck and call of everyone else and there’s always something demanding our attention. And with so much to do all the time, it’s hardly surprising that self-care features low on our list of priorities.
Who are we to take time for ourselves when there are still a million and one things to do? And just where are we supposed to find those extra minutes from to do it anyway?
That’s where the printable self-care plan comes in…
With a self-care plan making our wellbeing a priority becomes a whole lot easier. A self-care plan helps us to identify what nourishes our body, mind and soul and get it down on paper. It helps us figure out where our pockets of free time are and how best to make the most of them. With a self-care plan, we’re more conscious of what makes us feel great and we become more intentional about putting ourselves first.
As well as making sure we’re taking time for ourselves, a self-care plan helps us tend to all areas of our wellbeing – the physical, the mental AND the emotional. I know that when I put myself first I’m a much better person. Whenever I’ve done something to nourish my mind, body or soul, I’m calmer and happier. And when I’m calmer and happier on the inside, I’m a calmer, happier mum too!
Planning our self-care makes perfect sense. When we write something down, when we have a plan to follow, we’re more likely to see it through. And that’s why having a self-care plan is so great. By writing down how and when we’re going to take care of ourselves, we stand a better chance of making it happen. After all, we plan our week, we plan our meals, we plan which route to take before getting in the car…so why not plan our self-care too?!
How to create your self-care plan…
Creating a self-care plan isn’t as complicated as you might think. Consider it a list of the ways you like to practice self-care and how you intend to incorporate them into your day. Kind of like a daily self-care checklist. All you’re doing is writing down the things you like to do when you have time to yourself and then finding the time to do it.
First, make a list of anything that nurtures and improves your mind, body and soul:
- What lifts you up? Makes you smile? Makes you feel good? Add it to the list!
- What makes you feel relaxed? Calm? Energised? Refreshed? Add it to the list!
- Which healthy foods do you enjoy eating? Add them to the list!
- What exercise do you like to do? Add it to the list!
- Keep going until you can’t think of anything else.
Not sure what to include? You could…
- Go for a walk, go to the gym, join an exercise class.
- Talk a bath.
- Journal, read, paint or draw.
- Do a craft project.
- Learn a new language or take an evening class.
- Listen to music.
- Meditate.
- Practice gratitude.
- Take a bath.
- Drink your favourite herbal tea.
- Get a massage, get a haircut, have your nails done.
- Go window shopping and try on clothes you have no intention of buying.
- Phone a friend you’ve not spoken to in a while.
- Eat or bake your favourite healthy goodies.
When you’ve done that…
Next, spend some time thinking about what a typical day, week and weekend look like for you:
- How do you spend your time? How/where could it be better spent?
- Where could you claw time back for yourself?
- Are there any pockets of free time?
- How could you make more time?
Answer these questions and you’ll see how much time you have for self-care each day. There will be days where you have more time than others and some days you won’t have any free time at all. And that’s OK. The whole point of having a self-care plan is that it helps you be more intentional about making your wellbeing a priority. And so, if you only had time to do something from your list for half an hour twice a week, guaranteed it’ll be more than you’re doing right now.
Now make a date!
Finally, now you know what you’re able to do when, make it a date. Incorporate it into your routine for that day. Write it in your planner or on your calendar and make it non-negoitiable. It might feel strange at first making a date with yourself, but it’ll get easier the more you do it. You’ll start to look forward to that time with yourself and you’ll start incorporating self-care into your day without even realising it!
Why you need my printable self-care plan…
There you have it! What a self-care plan is, why you need one and how to create a self-care plan that works for you. I hope this post has inspired you to create your own! If it has, be sure to download the FREE printable self-care plan worksheet that accompanies this post. With plenty of space to write your thoughts and ideas, it’ll make putting your self-care plan into action a piece of cake! To get your hands on a copy, simply fill in your details below!
That’s it for this post! Do you have a self-care plan? Has this inspired you to create one? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time…
Like what you’ve read? You’ll LOVE these posts too!
- 50+ Self-care Ideas for Busy Mums
- How to Add a Self-Care Routine to Your Day
- Self-Care isn’t Selfish: Why You Should Never Feel Guilty About Putting Yourself First
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