If you’re anything like me, fitting in self-care can be a tricky task. However, self-care is essential to do in order to maintain your best self. Read on for tips for summer self-care.
Benefits of Self-Care
You may be asking yourself, why is it that I should work on self-care?
There is a slew of benefits to self-care.
The main one being that self-care restores you to your best state. It rejuvenates you so you have more energy to put into your projects.
It helps your brain be able to keep a positive mindset and think more clearly.
When you are in your best state you are able to tackle difficult situations even better.
Self-care improves your patience. This is a big one for me. With more patience, I am able to better parent my toddler.
Summer Self-Care Ideas
Here are some great self-care tips you can do this summer!
1. Get Outside
Summer is a fun season for self-care because it opens up the self-care options to include more outside time.
Find activities you enjoy outside
Self-care is specific to you. Find something you enjoy doing outside.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Kayaking
- Stand-Up Paddleboarding
- Gardening (flower or vegetable)
- Walking
- Running
- Hiking
- Biking
- Farmer’s Market
Move some of your normal activities outside
Being outside can add a whole new level of feeling relaxed, especially if you can focus on nature while you are out there.
If you normally have a cup of coffee in the morning, take that coffee outside.
Journaling can also be done outside, as can doing your devotionals.
Move your regular workouts outdoors as well. A few years ago, I joined a little workout group that does park workouts in the morning during the summer months.
There is just something extra special about getting a workout done outside during the warmer months that makes you feel even better after it is done!
Meditation
Meditation is another fun activity to do outside. You can listen to a guided meditation or you can do one of the 5 senses ones.
2. Back to Basics in Self-Care
Ditch the Phone
Start by ditching your phone for a period of time. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount of time, but leaving it somewhere or turning it on silent for just a half hour, to begin with can bring you a sense of peace.
These days we are always connected. You don’t realize how much that impacts your internal sense of peace until you are actually disconnected for a period of time.
Solo Walk
This one is good for parents to do. When you have kids, it can be especially hard to get a moment to yourself.
Ask your spouse to watch the kids for a period of time and head out for a walk alone.
Sleep
Part of going back to the basics is hitting those core needs for wellness.
Focus on getting those recommended 7-8 hours of sleep so you can wake up feeling refreshed.
Hydration
Self-care can be as simple as making sure you drink enough water each day.
I know when I don’t stay hydrated, I start to feel crabbier than normal. Keeping up on your water can help keep your mood in a more normal state.
Eat Your Meals
It can be easy to forget or miss meals when you are focused on work or taking care of your kids. Make sure you get your regular meals in.
If you want to take it a step further, work on savoring your meals and beverages. Take a moment to really focus on the flavors you are taking in.
It will help you appreciate the moment more.
3. Special Self-Care Tips for Those With Kids
When you have children, it feels like you can never get a moment to yourself.
Self-care doesn’t have to be hard.
If the basics aren’t enough for you, here are some simple ideas to weave into your day to help you feel taken care of:
- Listen to music you love while taking care of your kids
- Watch what you want to see instead of kids shows all-day
- Make your favorite foods instead of eating “kid foods” all the time
- Wireless earbuds are your friend – pop one in and play some of your favorite music or listen to a podcast or audiobook in one ear.
4. Connect!
Make a point of reaching out and connecting to your family and friends. A simple phone call or friend date can help make you feel like yourself again.
5. Pamper Yourself
Sometimes you want to do a little something extra special for yourself that goes above and beyond the basic self-care.
- At-home face mask
- Paint your nails (I always liked doing this best out on my patio)
- Take a bubble bath
- Enjoy an extra long shower
- Splurge on a massage
- Soak in some sun (but don’t forget your sunscreen!)
Try Out a Summer Self-Care Tip!
These summer self-care tips really take things back to basics. My goal here was to show simple ideas that people could use, even when they are swamped with all the other things going on in life.
I’m trying to break away from the idea that self-care has to be done in long time periods and cost lots of money. In fact, most of the self-care ideas here cost next to nothing and don’t take up much time at all.
Pick one to try out and let us know how it worked for you!
