Make Self Care Easy to Plan with a Self-Care Calendar Template

So someone told you that you need to schedule some self-care as soon as possible. Where do you begin as a busy Mom? First, know that you can use tools like a self-care calendar template to make self-care easy to almost effortless. Second, read on for why it matters to plan self-care for you on a regular basis.

Why Self-Care Matters to You

Self-care involves nurturing your body, mind and spirit. It focuses on taking care of yourself so that you don’t start to feel depleted. You will know you are doing it right when you feel like you are nurturing yourself the way you would someone you love.

Practicing self-care also means giving yourself compassion.  You also want to ask for help when you need it. 

The Benefits of Self-Care to You

There are lots of benefits to practicing self-care. Embracing this concept can be difficult for those who’ve always placed emphasis on the welfare of others.

However, giving all your energy to those around you without filling your own back up leaves you depleted and empty. That’s no way to live. 

Instead, spending time and effort on yourself rejuvenates and energizes you. Taking time to indulge in your own interests demonstrates your worth, leading to improved self-esteem and a more positive outlook on the world.

It teaches you a lot about yourself and provides you with insight into what you need to be the best version of yourself. 

Self-care helps you better cope with stress and to prioritize what’s important to you. You’ll be better able to take care of others when you also take time to meet your own needs. 

Make a Self-Care Routine Part of Your Life

Create a Self-Care Plan

Hopefully, you can now see why creating a self-care plan is important to maintaining your overall well-being. One of the first things you can do to create a new self-care routine, is to start and end your day with a little self-care.  

In this instance, taking these baby steps of beginning and ending your day with self-care, can be an easy way to create healthy habits that will go a long way to serve you.

Start & End Your Day With A Little Self-Care

As with any new habit you try, in the beginning adding self-care into your life can seem difficult.  You already feel like you are stressed to the max with your busy schedule and don’t have time for one more thing.  

You probably wonder how you’ll manage to find time to do anything extra for yourself, let alone how you’ll actually remember to do these things.  

If I have just described you, please grab your free “How to Find Time for Self-Care” to learn simple ways to find time for you.  (Moms with super busy schedules are definitely included in this group.)

If you can get in the habit of doing some self-care at the beginning and ending of each day, it has a better chance to become part of your new daily habits.  

But, if that doesn’t work for you, don’t sweat it.  You can find some time during the day, even if it means doing small things that add up over time.

Check-In with Yourself on a Regular Basis

One way to take care of yourself, is to ask yourself once a week if you’re giving yourself some time and attention.  Then, listen to what you say.  

If you are new at asking and listening to yourself, you might try journaling to find out how you really feel.  

Then, make whatever adjustments seem necessary. Self-care is an ongoing and evolving process that requires some attention on an ongoing basis. 

You get to call the shots – it is YOUR self-care.

Schedule Self-Care with a Self-Care Checklist

One trick to have up your sleeve, is make an appointment with yourself and treat it the way you would any other appointment in your calendar. You can use a self-care checklist if you have no idea how long to schedule or what to do. Just choose something and start small if nothing else.  

Begin by writing down the beginning and end time (so from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Self-Care Time). And, try to be as specific as possible about what you’ll be doing during that time (15 minutes – stretching, 15 minutes – meditation).

When you use a self-care checklist and actually add an item from it to your calendar, you have just increased your odds of actually doing some self-care.

It can be so easy to neglect ourselves when life gets tough, but those are also the times that we need to practice some self-care the most. 

Fit Self-Care Into Your Daily Schedule

You should add your self-care rituals to the most convenient parts of your day. Choose times that are already somewhat flexible so that incorporating something new into that space will be less stressful. 

Many people go with morning or evening routine. For example, it could be right when you wake up or before you go to bed at night.

Or maybe designating your lunch break as your self-care time might work better for you. The point is to keep trying to find a time that works for you, and let it be a moment you get to call your own every day. 

Be Flexible When You Need to for Your Overall Health

If you can come up with a self-care routine that works for you, that is great.  Committing to a schedule will help you make taking care of yourself a habit, giving you the self-care you need on a daily basis.  

However, we all have the days where the “you know what” really hits the fan.  On those days, if you had something planned that isn’t going to be possible, don’t beat yourself up about it.

Instead, see if you can find something to do for a really small pocket of time – like 5, 10, or even 15 minutes. It doesn’t have to be 30 minutes to an hour to take care of yourself.

One of my favorite things to do is to take a quick 20-minute nap.  Believe it or not, 20 minutes can actually make you feel rejuvenated and able to take on the rest of your day.  

In the long run, you will find ways to make self-care more a part of your day.  Very soon, you are going to want to take care of yourself, and getting back on track will be easy on those days that are a bit challenging. 

How do I create a Self Care Calendar?

If you are wondering how to go about creating a self-care calendar for yourself, you might want to start with a self care calendar template.  

Being able to take a template or create a self-care calendar for yourself is a great way to make self care a part of your daily routine.  By focusing more on self-care, you can positively impact your mental health.  

Getting into the practice of regular self-care doesn’t have to be difficult. Making a few adjustments to your existing schedule can free up some space in your day.

Just remember to choose things that will refresh you (this isn’t a one size fits all type of situation). Sometimes the simpler and easier things are the best things. For example, sitting and doing nothing but watching the trees sway in the breeze for 5 minutes counts as a mini-meditation.

Tips To Continue To Take Care Of Yourself Going Forward

Self-care is a process. It requires practice and dedication if you want to make it stick. Don’t get discouraged if it takes time to make this new concept a part of your life. 

It’ll get easier, and you’ll probably find yourself craving your self-care activities so much you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. 

However, there will inevitably be times that are busier or more stressful when self-care may go by the wayside. If you find that happening, be sure to follow these tips to continue to take care of yourself going forward. 

Listen to Your Instincts

Sometimes we get so busy that we find ourselves living on auto-pilot. That’s only natural during hectic times, but it’s critical that you make an attempt to listen to your instincts during these times to know whether you’re in need of a self-care boost. 

When you start to feel especially tired and irritable, that’s not a time to double down and work harder. It’s your body and mind telling you that you need a break, listen to them – they are wise. 

If you find yourself with other signs of feeling off balance like not eating or sleeping well, or just doing things that you know are bad for you, pay attention. These are all signs that you need to take care of yourself. 

Make Your Self-Care Ritual Personal

When creating your self-care rituals chose activities that give you enjoy. This is your self-care practice, make sure it reflects what makes you feel most rejuvenated.  

You might start by making a list of things that help you to feel relaxed, peaceful, excited or happy. Hopefully, you can find activities that fit this description that can also be done in a short amount of time.

Have a Self-Care Toolkit Ready for Stressful Times

In times of great stress, it helps to have a self-care toolkit ready to go. The self-care toolkit should include some things that you know work for you. You can learn more about creating your own self-care toolkit with the “Self-Care Relax Kit”.

You can also read about how to handful stressful times with this article, “Extreme Self-Care Days for Rough Times”.  

The main idea is to be prepared with a self-care toolkit and have a list of friends to call on when you need help.  It makes sense to lean on your tribe to help you when you need it. And, of course, you would do the same for them as they need assistance too.

If you need a self-care infusion for a solid week, join the 7-day self-care challenge which will email you information and ideas to add to your self-care practice.

Self-Care Ideas for You

There are countless ways to add self-care into your routine. The key is to choose activities that are enjoyable to you while also fitting into your self care schedule.   

• Self-Care day – choose one of your weekend days to pamper yourself with a bubble bath, yoga, at-home facial, etc.
• Talk on the phone with an old friend for your social health
• Take care of your physical health by going for a walk in nature
• Setting boundaries for your emotional health – if you feel run down, saying no to invitations can be a big part of taking care of yourself
• Treat yourself to one of your favorite activities (think small indulgence) – movie, book, or CD
• Consider activities like writing a gratitude journal entry before bed
• Listening to music while having your morning coffee
• Going for a short walk over your lunch hour
• Find so many more ideas in this article “100 Self-Care Ideas When You Are Stumped”

These are just a few of the ways you can easily incorporate self-care into your life.   

Self Care Planner Printable Options and a FREE Self-Care Calendar Template

Printable Self-Care Calendar Template (free page)

If you want to access your own self care checklist to use with these self care ideas, click here for a free digital self care planner page to implement your self care routine. 

Ready for the full version?

When you are ready to learn more about how to add self-care to your day to feel better on a daily basis, check out the “My Self-Care Planner”.  The “My Self-Care Planner” is a self-care guide and digital self care planner printable product in one.  

It includes the following:

• Self Care Planner Template
• Daily Self Care Planner Template
• Monthly Self Care Planner Template
• Self Care Routine Planner Template
• Weekly Self Care Planner Template
• Self Care Activities
• Self Care Guide
• Self-Care Checklists

The “My Self-Care Planner” is one of the simplest ways to can add self-care into your day with our self-care printable calendar templates.  This digital self care planner is in a downloadable pdf format that you will have immediate access to print (a pdf file of all pages is included in the download – US Letter size).

The printable planner pages include weekly planner templates, monthly planner templates, and a blank printable calendar for each month to customize as you wish.  Our self care planner can help you to keep track of all aspects of your health.

The “My Self-Care Planner”