As moms, we are moving so fast all. of. the. time. And even when we aren’t moving fast physically our brain is still moving — “I can’t forget to put Hayes’ water bottle in the daycare bag”, “did I move the laundry to the dryer?”, “that lettuce is on the edge, we better move that dinner to tonight”, “crap, I forgot to order diapers again”.
SO MANY THINGS!
So it’s no wonder we have a hard time reminding ourselves about…OURSELVES. Some times we just need a nudge, or a boost, or a kick in the rear. So here are all the ways I could think of to add self-care reminders to you day.
Set an alarm or several for self-care reminders
Ok, two ways to play when it comes to your an alarm reminder.
Recurring alarm
This alarm is the classic. Set for the same time each day. Or if it suits your schedule better, remember you can set your alarm for each weekday (not weekends), each Tuesday/Thursday, or whatever other configuration makes it work for you.
One-off alarm (self-care reminder that is often underestimated!)
Not reallyyyy sure what to call this one. Random alarm? One-off seemed about right. This is the alarm you set spur of the moment when you think, “I should go for a walk after this”. But you probably would forget or spend twenty-five minutes on whatever you’re doing instead of five minutes and then unintentionally (or maayyyybe intentionally) miss your chance!
Find a buddy
You know what’s a good self-care reminder? An accountability partner! Find someone who also wants to up their self-care game and go after it together. You’ll be more likely to stick with it when you’re doing it with a buddy AND when you’re not feeling it, they will be there to remind you how good it will feel when you do. Friends is a great place to start to find a buddy and your partner could work too! Make sure however you buddy up with is as committed as you are.
Follow the right humans
There are thousands of accounts that promote and practice intentional self-care. Or share daily inspirational, positive self-care quotes. And the more reminders you see for self-care, the more likely you are to remember (p.s. don’t forget, you still have to take action!) Here are few of my favorite self-care reminder accounts…
@stylefitfatty – Fatima Dedrickson has such a fun personality. She openly shares the light with the dark and intentionally takes care of herself.
@morganharpernichols – it’s unlikely you don’t know her account, but goodness if you don’t I’m happy to be the one to introduce you. GREAT account for mental and emotional self-care.
@rachaelsgoodeats – I love her recipes, workouts, and vibe. Very welcoming and straight forward. During the COVID shutdown she started to do live workout classes on her Instagram and they are great!
@syd.nord – I would love to have you join me! I share mom stuff, self-care tips and tricks, positive quotes, plus our daily life at the Nordquist resi.
Create a habit
In this scenario, your habit’s trigger is your reminder 😉
I’m not a natural morning person, but I like to workout in the morning. And to make it happen, I’ve created a habit. Part of my self-care system is to wake up each morning, turn off my alarm, get into my workout clothes, snag my water bottle, and hop on the bike or get ready for a strength workout (ok ok, 90% of the time it will be the bike. I know I need strength, but dang I like to sweat it out on the bike waaaay more). This habit is triggered by A system is a great way to make sure we practice self-care regularly. consistently. dare I say, daily (gasp).
Join a community
This is kind of like “find a buddy” but it totally eliminates the need to, well, find a buddy. There are so a lot of community options to help you with self-care reminders
Facebook Groups are perfect for self-care reminders
There are tons of Facebook Groups out there and if you find the right one they are active and encouraging and it’s a great way to get self-care reminders.
p.s. I’m hoping to make one in the future, if you’re interested, connect with me here so I can keep you up-to-date!
Join a workout community
I use the BeachBody app + strength workouts, and I love the community aspect. It’s fun to connect and it helps me stay consistent with my workouts.
syd.nord weekly self-care challenge!
If you’re looking for an autopilot way of getting self-care reminders, I have a weekly self-care challenge that you can sign up for using the link below. Each Sunday evening at 7pm I send you a new self-care challenge for the week.
Join the weekly self-care challenge HERE!
Add your self-care reminders to your calendar
I recently started to add “Walk with Miles” to my calendar. It has ended up being such a bright spot in my weekday and a great mental break from work. I come back refreshed from the movement and fresh air. Sometimes I even call a friend or listen to music or a podcast.
Just like your alarm, this can be a recurring calendar event or one-off.