So while I’ve never written a blog post before about my own self-care habits, I thought it might be fun (if not helpful) to share with you some of my own stalwart self-care habits and routines in case it helps you.
For context: I’m a 40-year-old trauma therapist who sees a full clinical caseload and I still run Evergreen Counseling (my boutique trauma-informed therapy center with 21 staff members), and I run my online course and (since 2015) write bi-monthly essays on this website.
And I’m a mom to a four-year-old.
I say all of this, not to impress, but rather for context: my time is limited. Really, really limited.
In an ideal world someday when I’m less busy and not in peak early parenting/peak career-building times, I’ll have more time to be able to take care of myself even better.
But, for now, this handful of stalwart self-care rituals and support gets me through my busy days, weeks, and months.
I hope even one nugget in this list can be of support to you, too, no matter what stage of life you’re in.
A peek inside my own self-care rituals.
Early to bed, early to rise.
My entire life I’ve been a morning bird and so this phase of my life where my daughter goes to bed at around 8pm (and sleeps until 6-7am) is perfect for my own natural biorhythms. Since she goes to bed so early, I tend to go to bed at about 8 or 8:30, too, and get up at 4 or so. It’s early, I know, but it leaves plenty of time for my stalwart morning routine before my day begins.
My Oura ring keeps me honest.
Last year I invested in an Oura ring to help me stay honest about how certain variables impact my sleep, how many steps I really take a day, etc etc. I love it but gosh, it was humbling. It really helped me see how much late-night snacking and/or an evening glass of wine messed up my sleep and so with it, I’ve been making some lifestyle changes that will allow me to get better, higher-quality sleep. So the Oura Ring’s accountability and my early to bed, early to rise routine, I generally get good sleep for the day.
My morning routine.
I can’t tell you how much my morning routine grounds me. I miss it so much on days when I’m traveling and/or don’t have the time for it. My morning routine consists of the following:
Around 4 or 4:30am, while everyone else in my household is still asleep, I head into my house’s garage/home office/home gym.
Sitting at my desk, I drink an espresso (that my husband made me the night before) and I turn on Deva Premal’s Healing Mantras on Spotify and I journal. My journaling always has three parts: Dream recall (if I can) and then a list of 10 gratitudes (in detail vs general statements) and then reframes on any and all stressors that are going on for me that day/week (finding either a different, more adaptive way of looking at the issue or brainstorming possible solutions or naming outright “silver linings.”)
