Happy July! As you know, a new month means a new self-care focus, and for this month our focus will be Social Self-Care a new concept to me. When I made the decision to have a focus for the year, I found a infographic that had a list of the different ways we can classify self-care. On this list, some ideas that fall under social self-care are “setting boundaries,” “spending time together,” and “asking for help.” These may make my list at some point during the month but I know there are other ways we can make this specific classification come to life. I usually define terms in a very literal sense so when I hear the word “social” I think about things we do with others or outside of our home. When I thought about this post earlier this week, I thought about how this may be a bit challenging for people who are introverts; unless you find a way to be really creative, this form of self-care maybe draining for those who prefer to spend time by themselves. However, I’ve learned that these post can get quite creative for me as the week’s progress so I have plans to create something for introverts some time before the month ends.
To help you start off the week, below are some familiar self-care ideas that you can use to start the month. Some of these you may have already engaged in at some point in your life but you probably didn’t consider it a form of self-care. I’ve said many times, it’s not hard to find self-care in everything we do, the goal is to find that moment in whatever activity you’re engaging in that makes you feel good and that’s your self-care moment. I decided not to list out the days of the week because you may want to participate in these when it’s conducive to your specific schedule.
Retail Therapy—We all know that this means SHOPPING! This is probably the quintessential social self-care activity. It has its own title “retail therapy.” This is what we usually tend to engage in when we need a pick me up, if we just got out of a relationship, and if we’re just plain ole board. Engage in some retail therapy this week, but don’t go broke. Spend within your budget and if you think it will work for you, do some window shopping or walk around the mall.
Coffee/Tea Date—I think I’ve used this before in the past but it was for zoom since we were in the height of the pandemic. Call up a really good friend or family member. Or make the plans with someone you haven’t spend time with in a while and go on a coffee or tea date at a local coffee shop in your area. Since it’s summer maybe try and iced coffee. This is a perfect opportunity to catch up, have a good laugh, and to step outside of your comfort zone if you don’t generally visit coffee shops.
Plan a Game Night—Honestly I am not a fan of these but I know they are wildly popular. I’ve been to a few and I had fun but playing games aren’t really my thing (not enough for me to make a whole night of it). Having fun is always a great form of self-care and you can do this with just your family or make it a girl’s night game night.
Plan a Small BBQ—Today is July 4th so if you don’t mind the last minute planning, invite over a small crowd and fire up the grill. BBQ’s are what I love the most about summer because I enjoy the food, the smell of the food, being outside, the warm weather, the company, etc. I think BBQs may be my summer self-care.
Be Unavailable—This one may seem a little different but my reasoning behind this is, if you have a pretty active social life, it’s okay to create some balance and be unavailable on occasions, you don’t always have to be present at every function and you also don’t have to plan every function. Do some social life reflecting and find where you can create some balance.
Join a Book Club—Or if you’re already a member of one, host the next discussion. This is a great opportunity for you to be more consistent with reading and it gives you a chance to get to have mind stimulating conversations with like minded individuals.
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone—This may require taking baby steps if it’s out of your norm. If you don’t usually speak up first, volunteer, comment, etc; do that this week. While you don’t always have to be the loudest person in the room; I think it’s important for us to have healthy verbal social skills even if you only do it occasionally. Your voice is important and deserves to be heard.
Self-Care on the go are essentially bite size versions of my self-care challenges. It’s open to anyone but it’s specifically created for moms and other working women; who may not have time to participate in all (or any) of the challenges that I provide weekly because of their mommy duties or busy work schedule. You can access the infographic HERE. I’ve been posting them every Sunday since the beginning of the year and I really enjoy creating them. If you’re one of my readers who participate in, or enjoy these options because you find them convenient, leave a comment and let me know what you like about them or what you think I should change. Thanks for going on this self-care journey again with me this week.
By the way, if you’re interested, my Newsletter and Self-Care Accountability Worksheet is now available. The worksheet 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 worksheet is FREE, but will only be available to my Newsletter subscribers. I will NOT spam you, I will only email once per week.
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