Building a Self Care Menu — Living Well With L

When you hear the term “Self Care” or “Self Love”, what comes to mind?

A charcoal face mask? A Lush bath bomb? A trip to Target (or is that last one just me)?

Self care is a big buzzword these days, but the truth is, you can't buy self care at Lush. While the activities listed above can certainly be therapeutic, are they really caring for yourself? Your whole self--body, mind, spirit? That’s where I think we’ve lost sight of self care.

I’ve been reimagining self care over the past few months to be defined by things that allow me to rejuvenate my spirit, set my soul on fire and allows my mind to “reset”. But sometimes when I need self care the most I don’t know where to start! That’s why I’ve come up with my Self Care Menu.

“Ummm, a menu...come again?” Yes, all ya need is a brain & maybe a pen & paper.

First, take some time to think about things that fill you up, things that grow you as an individual or things that you just really enjoy that don’t involve doing something for someone else. Try to think of at least 5 activities. Jot them down on a piece of paper or in a note in your phone--but make sure they’re somewhere you can see! The next time you’re feeling overworked, overwhelmed or just need a pick me up, choose 1 thing off of your menu and do it!

Here’s my menu:

Read a book. One of my favorite books is “Uninvited” by Lysa TerKeurst.
Go for a walk. I love taking my dog, Selah, for a quick walk just to get outside.
Listen to a podcast while looking at something beautiful. My top 2 podcasts are “The Happy Hour” with Jamie Ivey and “Goal Digger Podcast” with Jenna Kutcher.
Do a chore/work on a project. I know, this one might not be super fun, but checking something off of my list can be so helpful when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
Bake something. I have a Banana Zucchini Muffin Recipe that is to.die.for.
Listen to worship music. I love the song “In Over My Head” by Bethel Music/Jenn Johnson.
Step outside barefoot and just breathe. Just try it.

What do you think? Pretty doable, right?! I would love to see what’s on your menu & maybe add some new ideas to my mine!