Self-Care Mastery Starts With a Self-Care Plan

Do you struggle with a Self-Care Plan? You take care of the kids or the cat, the bills and the business, but when it comes to taking care of yourself you fall short.

This is not uncommon. Even though it might seem you have legitimate reasons, like no time or energy for self-care, chances are it's a matter of creating a self-care plan that you can easily implement.

Before you dive into creating a self-care plan, consider what self-care means to you and how it will impact your life. Identifying your underlying motivation will help you take action on that plan. It's the fuel that will power up your self-care. The plan will be the framework for you to create practices that enhance your well-being and add to your life.

Self-care plans don't need to be rigid and focused on diets and exercise schedules, massage and facials, exclusively. You can create a framework, and an environment, that call your self-care into being. Self-care is caring for your soul, your inner self, and your very being.

4 Elements of a Self-Care Plan

A good self-care plan reminds you of what you want to accomplish. After all, you have values, goals, and a purpose in your life. This plan reminds you about what you need to do to take care of you. Using a day planner or journal can remind you of your goals and the things you need to do to take care of your body, mind, and soul.

Here are 4 elements to include in your Self-Care Plan:

1. Craft Your Self-Care Plan: Your self-care plan gives you a solid foundation for what you want to do and how you can accomplish it. Less is more. Don't try to do too much at once. Add in a self-care element for your body, mind or soul. Add one practice at a time. Be flexible. This doesn't have to be complicated, just consistent.

2. Gather Inspiration: Your self-care plan should inspire you and remind you of why you want to take care of your body, mind, and spirit.

Inspirational quotes and affirmations. This is the spiritual food that keeps you focused on your own personal well being. Not only do you have the reminders of what to do, but you also have little pieces of inspiration around you to remind you of why you're doing it!

Hang motivating pictures throughout your home and office. These pictures may be of exotic places you'd like to visit someday, or tranquil images of nature. Your pictures may be something that you want to attract into your life or may remind you of a positive memory from your past. You can also have a photo of your family to remind you of what's important to you.

3. Track Your Progress. You can't improve what you don't track. Whether it's your diet, exercise or spiritual practice log your activity so that you can identify challenges and clebrate wins. Here are some ways to track:

Exercise Journal. Let's say you have a hard time getting motivated to exercise. By keeping a log of your exercise time, you can keep yourself focused on achieving a healthier you. There's an app for almost all forms of exercise. Some of my favorites are:

Food Journal. This is also a good way to track your food choices so you can remind yourself that you need to eat nutritious foods. In addition, you can use a journal to record your mental and emotional health. Write down what's going on inside of you so you can evaluate your feelings and proactively take care of your mental health.

Writing Journal. Having a safe container to share your experiences is key to creating change. Self-care will bring you many opportunities to make new choices. Change is not always easy. Motivation sometimes escapes us. A writing journal will not only help you identify the common pitfalls but will also point out which environments and strategies work best for you. This is vital information on the self-care adventure.

4. Accountability Partner. A good motivator to keep you on track is to have a family member, friend, or spouse hold you accountable. If you slip up in your efforts to proactively take care of yourself, they will let you know so you can renew your focus and get back on course. This is an extra but will ensure your success. Having a partner guarantees you'll show up. On those days when you're not feeling up to engaging your self-care practices you'll remember that you have committed to check in with your partner on your progress. Often that is enough to inspire you to take action.

You can use these aspects of planning toward anything in your life so you have a solid foundation to take care of yourself. Just make sure to take care of the inside as well as the outside. Take 10 minutes right now to write out your self-care plan.

Self-Care Mastery Comes With Practice

Initially, it's essential to have some sort of structure in place for successful self-care. A good self-care plan will provide you with the energy and vitality to discover the self-care practices that bring out the most vibrant you!

When you have a strong sense of your value and worth you take care of yourself. It's unthinkable not to. The most authentic self-care isn't any particular action or practice, though you can start off that way. The essence of self-care flows naturally when you have a solid sense of your place on the planet.

Self-Care mastery unfolds as you make the time to cherish your body and being and honor your place on the playground of Life.