It seems “self-care” is a hot topic these days. We see this term everywhere we look. You can’t leave the grocery store without seeing it on magazine covers or on your social media feeds. It’s something I think we all aspire to put into better practice, but for many reasons I find my clients keep telling me they are failing miserably at taking better care of themselves. These are women of all ages: teens and mothers alike who are telling me their self-care is a priority but they either do not have the time or the energy to prioritize it.

With any goal you want to start working towards I always tell my clients to start small and make their goals obtainable. It’s no different with self-care. Start small and build as you go. Start with the easiest, lowest effort task first, working slowly to incorporate those more time-consuming tasks later.

It got me thinking about self-care as a whole and I wanted to share a few simple suggestions to my female readers on ways they can incorporate better self-care practices into their weekly routines.

1. Get outside. Spring is upon us, and the days will be longer. Being outdoors, getting just a few minutes of Vitamin D can do wonders for your mental and physical health. Pick up a frisbee, go for a bike ride, water the flowers, pull some weeds. I personally plan on visiting as many flower nursery’s as possible this Spring.
2. Get creative and create something with your hands. Plant a vegetable garden, build a puzzle with your family, knit or crochet, find a recipe online and start creating in the kitchen, (if you have teens who are struggling with their mental health, this one has proven to be effective time and time again. Teens love to bake).
3. Add one thing in to take better care of your body. This one is one of the hardest ones for my clients struggling with depression. I like to encourage simple but impactful tasks that improve hygiene and physical health. For instance, we won’t start with styling your hair every day rather we may prioritize adding in a face mask, drinking water in the morning, or prioritizing brushing your teeth at night.

Self-care doesn’t always have to complicated and time-consuming. Let’s simplify it so that we can make it obtainable and enjoyable again!