Seven (Quality Time) Self-Care Ideas For Each Day This Week

If you read my blog religiously, then you know that the focus of this month’s challenges are centered around the love language of quality time. You can learn more about it in this blog post. This is the last Sunday in January which means it’s the last week of this self-care focus. Did any of the challenges from the last three weeks resonate with you? If so, maybe your self-care love language is quality time. Some of my favorites from this week was the zoom tea/coffee date with a friend, the shower meditation, reading a chapter of my book each night, and eating all three meals without scrolling through my phone. If you’ve been keeping up, what were some of your favs? I’m not ready to say that quality time is the category that resonates with my self-care preference, because based on the characteristics that make up who I am, I may fall under several self-care categories, not just one.

If you’re questioning how you will identify which of the self-care love languages is the best fit for you, my knee jerk response would be to pay close attention to how you feel when you participate in each of the challenges. For example, if you feel at ease and refreshed after taking a bubble bath, meditating, or completing a goal. Then those are the self-care behaviors that are a good fit for you. If planning your day, doing breathing exercises, working on your budget, or tossing out expired products feels more like a chore then you’ll know that self-care behaviors that fall in those categories don’t do it for you. The goal is to really connect with each challenge and be fully engaged so you can make this determination. Or, you can determine your category by taking the love language quiz. The quiz is catered to your spouse or significant other but I think it can help give you an idea of which category you may fall under.

Sunday—DO A BREATHING EXERCISE connecting with your breathing is probably one of the best ways to center yourself when you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious. My favorite breathing exercise is to inhale to a count of four, hold for two, and exhale to a count of four. But I wanted to use today’s challenge to talk about the alternate nostril breathing exercise which is a breathing exercise that I did once during a mindfulness practice. It’s practiced by using your thumb to close your right nostril while you inhale through the left and using another finger to close the left nostril while you exhale through the right. This form of breathing is said to stimulate both sides of the brain and it taps into the part of our nervous system known for “rest and digest”. Below is a visual.

Monday–EMBRACE YOUR FLAWS because we all have them. I think some, if not most of us spend a lot of time thinking, wishing, wanting, and talking about what we wish we could change about ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be better and look better but I want to encourage us to sit with our flaws and embrace what we have. If you feel courageous enough, wear something today that accentuates the part of your body that you wish you could change. Love you, all of you.

Tuesday–PRACTICE VULNERABILITY this is such a simple act that’s packed with a lot of intense emotions so I’m not surprised that it’s so difficult for people. Vulnerability is not a challenge for me, but holding stuff in, is. I have to let it out. I’m not advocating for anyone to tell it all to everyone but it’s okay to lose control sometimes and share. Even if it’s something small. Give yourself permission to embrace and practice vulnerability today.

Wednesday–DO A WORKOUT this challenge will never get old because it’s important and healthy for us to stay active. So move! I’m currently in the process of finding out what’s the best time of day and the best kind of workout regimen that works best for me. Like most people, I fall off and on the workout bandwagon often and I want to change that. I know I lack the motivation, but I also want to find a workout regimen that I won’t dread when it’s time to workout. If this sounds like you, you should do a self check-in. What time of day are you less busy? When do you feel most active? Do you like HIIT workouts? Maybe something low impact? Figure out what you like, when you can do it and just start.

Thursday–NO SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE NOON (INSTEAD USE THE TIME TO BE PRODUCTIVE) my phone is my personal entertainment center. And since I’ve been blogging it’s almost mandatory for me to stay present and active on social media to keep my readers engaged. But we all need a break sometimes that’s why I wanted to implement this as a challenge. If you can, stay off social media until noon today and use the time that you would use to scroll, to do something for you.

Friday–ORGANIZE YOUR COMPUTER’S DESKTOP FILES I’m a files hoarder (is that a thing?) I have a hard time deleting files because I’m afraid I might need it at some point down the line. The funny thing is, I often forget that this file even exist until I randomly find it when I’m looking for something else lol. It literally is out of site, out of mind for most of the files on my laptop. Much like the deleting and purging challenges that I’ve posted, organizing your computer files will create space in your life and it will probably make your life a lot easier. Delete! Purge! Organize! That’s your challenge for today.

Saturday–HAVE A PHONE FREE NIGHT much like Thursday’s challenge this is another opportunity to take a break from your electronic devices. Pretend it’s the 90s, what would you be doing if phones weren’t a thing? Do that tonight. Tonight’s challenge is retro self-care. Have a through back night.

My favorite part of this particular blog, my Self-Care on the Go paragraph. They are essentially bite size versions of my self-care challenges. It’s open to anyone but its’ specifically created for moms and other working women who may not have time to participate in all (or any) of the challenges above, because of their mommy duties or busy work schedule. You can access the infographic HERE. I encourage you to print, save, or take a screen shot. Whatever is conducive to your current schedule. Please feel free to share it with someone who you think might need it.

I love going on this self-care journey with you. But most importantly, I love creating them for you. I always feel so uninhibited and creative when I write these. I never know what I’m going to say but I’m always so pleased with the results. Some weeks are better than others but I would like to think that you all are never disappointed with the content I create. On a slightly different note, If you’re interested, my Newsletter and Self-Care Accountability Worksheets is now available. The worksheets will act as a supplement to my daily self-care challenges. The purpose is to help you stay on track with your daily self-care routines. If you’re interested in receiving these items weekly, email me at tam33ks@yahoo.com. The self-care worksheets are FREE but will only be available to my Newsletter subscribers. I will NOT spam you, I will only email once per week.

Let’s Chat!

Follow Me:

• Instagram: @selfcareatforty
• Twitter: @playingblogger and @naturaldo
• Pinterest: @tam33ks

Advertisement