Menu of Self-Care Resource

Do you have a self-care routine?

How about a gratitude practice? Daily gratitude is just one part of my morning self-care routine. I'll share my entire morning routine in a future post. Today I want to share my gratitude practice and my menu of self-care resource.

Gratitude Practice

November is traditionally the month we count our blessings, BUT the benefits of the practice year-round are astonishing. In fact, according to Forbes, science has proven seven benefits to daily gratitude. They include improved relationships, physical & psychological health, empathy, better sleep, improvement in self-esteem, and an increase in mental health.

Wow! I don't know about you, but those are all things I want to occur in my life!

The practice I use is simple. The moment I wake up, I grab a notebook (any notebook will do!) and jot down 10 things I'm grateful for. I'm not talking about general things like health or your family. I'm talking about small things that occurred in the past 24 hours, such as the quick chat you had with your neighbor, cuddles with your kids, or that delicious donut.

Starting brain activity for the day with gratitude will begin to have a huge impact on your life. Remember those seven benefits I mentioned above? Reap them by trying this!

Actually, there are several ways to do a daily gratitude practice. Find the one that works for you. Mine is an adaptation of Rachel Hollis's Start Today process. You can hear the exact process she uses in episode 72 of the Rise Podcast.

Menu of Self-Care

Do you often hear the buzz about ALL the things you should do for self-care? Meditation, walks, journaling, podcasts, etc., can become overwhelming if you try to do it all.  As someone who puts a ton of value on my time, (we don't get it back!) creating a menu of self-care makes sense to me. I wish to spend my time on activities that matter.

The Menu of Self-Care is a resource I created to ensure I'm spending some time each day taking care of me. In today's world, it seems like everyone is doing all the things and that can lead to guilt if you're not "living up" to the hype. Get rid of that limiting belief right now and do what works for you!

Each week, I create a list of 8-10 self care activities that I can dedicate at least 10 minutes to each morning. I choose the activity that feels right for the day. Most weeks, the activities are the same as prior weeks. Adjustments come when seasons change or if I feel an activity no longer serves me.

On Sundays, I reflect on the week. If an activity seemed to be chosen more than others, I reflect on why that might be. This helps me see patterns in how my mind works and better understand myself.

I highly recommend trying this activity. You can download a template I created below for free to help aid you in your self care journey!