My Daily Self-Care Checklist

As the mom of 2 young children, I have become pretty good at taking care of everyone else, but I am not always great at doing it for myself.  I can go almost a whole day before I realize that I haven't drank any water.  There are things that I just let slide that affect my overall physical and mental health.

Recently, I created a daily self-care checklist.  I am a list person.  I love lists and I love checking items off of my list.  I am generally realistic about what I can achieve in a day and I find that lists are a great tool for me to use.  I have a Samsung phone and the list app offers a checklist option.  (My guess is that most phones have this capability.)  I created a list of items that I need to do in order to practice good self-care every day.  The items are simple, but the list has been a game changer for me in terms of getting my list completed.

I have been pretty good about rolling out of bed in the morning to check a few items off my list.  I like to write in my journal,  write down 3 things I am thankful for, drink some coffee and do a 5 minute meditation before my kids are up for the day.  I am able to be a happier mom when I have started my day with some self-care.  The other items are just as important and I fit them in throughout the day.

I go over my list before I go to bed and this helps me to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.  I have felt my anxiety easing and I feel much more centered now that I have made my self-care a focus.

How do you practice self-care?  Do you have a routine that you stick to?