Welcome to Self-care September! September is my favorite month. I love the seasons changing, and I love pumpkin spice coffee. But, I love September because it is my birthday month. I see birthday months as a way to start a new year. Then I use this month to reflect on the past year, to make sure that I am still on track for my biggest goals, and I make goals for the next year. My favorite part of celebrating my month is my self-care routines.
Here is a list of my top 10 birthday self-care routines.
1. Spa day
2. Affirmations
3. Journal writing
4. Goal Setting
5. Vision board creating
6. Picking my word of the year
7. Going to a new restaurant
8. Movie day
9. Brunch with friends
10. Sleep
Writing as self-care can be therapeutic.
Writing affirmations is something that I try to do daily, but I typically do it once a week. Statements can put you in a great mood and motivate you throughout the day. I am amazing. I can do anything I put my mind to. Greatness is meant for me. Are a few of my favorite ones.
Journal writing can be very similar to writing affirmations. Instead of writing one phrase, you can pick a topic and write your thoughts on it. Journal entries can be a paragraph to a page long. Check out my other blog here for suggested journal topics.
Goal setting is a form of self-care.
Goal setting is imperative to progress in life. Every September, I like to take the time to review my year and see how far I was able to progress towards my ultimate goals. I also adjust as needed. There are many times that I am not able to accomplish my goals, and I have to accept that it is okay. I add them to the top of the next year’s goal list and keep pushing forward.
In my opinion, creating a vision board is essential to ensure that you can reach your goals. Creating a vision board allows you to see what you want to accomplish daily, and it helps your big goal to stay on your mind.
So, every year, I pick a word of the year. This word becomes the theme of my year, and anything that I do is to enhance that word. One year the word was travel. Anything I did had to be towards being able to travel more. Another year my word was the word focus. I noticed that I was trying to do too many things at one time, and I never got anything accomplished. Pick a word that will help you to improve your life but is also a reflection of you. Now everything that you do will be in a positive light towards that word.
Self-care also means doing what you love!
I love going to the spa. In my opinion, there is nothing better than a massage and a facial. When my budget is a bit low, I check out the deals they have on Groupon or I go to a massage school where I can get the service at a discount rate. If I really can’t spend anything at all, then I create a spa at home. I run a nice hot bath with Epson salt. While I am in the tub, I indulge in a face mask, you can make them from items you find in your house, or the dollar tree has them for $1. I give myself a manicure and pedicure, all while listening to spa music. Whatever relaxes, you are the key to a spa day.
I am a big foodie!
I believe that food not only nourishes your body, but it feeds your soul. Every year on my birthday I try a new restaurant that I expect to be a different experience for me. It may be from a different culture, or the food is cooked a different way. Either way, I expect to think about things differently once I eat at the restaurant.
Another example of something that feeds my soul is movies. I love to think about a film by looking at them through the eyes of the writer. What was he trying to tell me when he wrote it? What did he mean by that play on words? I love how movies take you to another place and expand your mind.
On top of being a foodie, I love brunch. It is my favorite meal of the day. There is something so special about brunch with the people you love. Brunch is a time kick back, laugh, and enjoy a meal with those that you love.
The last thing on the list is not the least. I love to catch up on sleep for my birthday. I have done this in three different ways in the past couple of years. One year I used my reward points and booked a one-night stay in a hotel near my house. I like to call that a momcation. Another year I didn’t have any points, so I asked a friend to take my son for a few hours before bedtime. I got in bed and slept. They brought him back and put him in bed. I never had to get up, and it was amazing!
Don’t forget to reach out to your village to make your alone time possible. If you don’t have a village or no one is available, you can either put your little person in bed early, and you can go straight to bed or put on a movie for them and take a much-deserved nap. Remember this is your alone time that you deserve so give yourself grace.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself!
There are so many small ways to be able to enjoy your special day and practice self-care. You should be doing self-care daily, but it is a must around your birthday. Remember it only comes around once a year, so please do celebrate it. What are your favorite things to do to take care of yourself and to give yourself the self-care that you deserve?