Self care.

This is such a hot topic. It’s one of those things that every book and “self aware” guru say to do. Hell, as a health and fitness coach, I ALWAYS recommend it. But often people just roll their eyes at it and build it up into something more than it actually is.

In one of the very first accountability groups I was in, they had “Self care Sundays”. My first thought was, “What the hell does that mean? I have so many things I need to do. I don’t have any bath bombs and I have a ton of chores to do. A massage? How do they have money for that? Do you know how dirty my house is? Do these women even work?” Hello, judgy Ms. Judgerson.

Truthfully, I still had a lot of self doubt and was so insecure, so I lived in excuse land. But let’s break it down: self care means caring for your self. It’s as simple as that. Its doing things that YOU need to get done to make YOU feel good and accomplished for yourself. Something that helps you relieve stress so you can show up to work and your family your whole and best self.

You don’t have to go out and spend money, but if you choose to have a brunch date with your besties or schedule a couples massage, go for it! One of my favorite things to do is get my nails done or take a walk without my phone glued to my hand.

Think of simple things you can do like, cleaning the house so you have a clear mind in the week ahead, enjoying a glass of wine while binging on Real Housewives (fun fact: I have never seen an episode before – awful Basic B- I know), unplugging from social media, cuddling with your loved ones, meal prepping, taking a bath, working out, going for a walk, sitting in your car in the driveway after you go to the grocery store (or Target) before going inside, etc.

So stop overthinking it, get out there, enlist your spouse or hire a babysitter to watch your kids for two hours, and give yourself a few moments of self care if you have to.

I promise that little reward and time you spend on yourself will do more good than you expect. Do you already have a favorite activity in mind?