My Self-Care Routine

I never thought about the importance of self-care until I started working as a nurse. I was working long shifts during the night, taking care of sick children and their parents that were stressed and scared out of their mind. But the hardest part of my job was watching patients pass away and being there for the families as they went through such an unimaginable experience. I soon realized that if I didn’t work on spending time for myself and figuring out what made me happy and re-energized, I would burn out quickly, not be able to perform my job, and be unhappy in every aspect of my life.

However, your job isn’t always the main source of your stress. It can be a combination of a lot of things, so it’s important to pin-point where your stress comes from. Since I’ve moved to Arizona I have felt really disconnected. I’m terrible with change and having everything in my life change in the matter of a month and a half has been a whirlwind for me. I quit my job in LA, got married, moved to Arizona and started a new job. On top of all of this I have some depression that I’ve been struggling with since my brother passed away almost 8 years ago. Sometimes I’m not even aware that I’m depressed until I find myself wanting to stay home, wanting to sleep all the time, and not having the energy to do anything. I try to be more aware of it, so when I start to feel that way I focus on myself and do my routines that make me feel happy and inspired. Recently I started writing in a journal every morning. 3 things that I’m grateful for or excited about and 3 things that I want to accomplish that day. This helps me to be more present and appreciate the little things instead of always being focused on the bigger things in life. Also, having a short list of things to accomplish that day helps me prioritize my tasks, so it doesn’t make me feel overwhelmed. On top of this I’ve been meditating for 10 minutes a day using the Headspace app. Training your mind to focus and allow thoughts to come and go, but having control over them is a lot harder than it seems. It sounds silly and can be intimidating but I truly feel amazing after I mediate. I have a clearer mind and I feel more energized.

Regardless of your career or what is going on in your life, self-care is important for everyone to practice. It can be hard at first to set aside time or even sit down and really think about what practices in your life make you happy and feel fulfilled. However, the more you make a habit of making time to do the things that make you happy, the easier it gets and becomes part of your daily routine. Here is a list of some of the things I enjoy.

1. Travel
2. Monthly facial and massage
3. Writing in my journal every morning
4. Mediating 3-4 times a week
5. Melissa Wood Health workouts 3-5 times a week
6. Hiking
7. Night routine (putting on my serums, masks and treatments, using my jade roller, Putting on hair treatments, and brushing my skin)
8. Reading
9. Morning routine (making breakfast, usually avocado toast or egg white scramble with coffee while watching CNN or catching up on shows)
10. Cooking and baking
11. Going to the Movies
12. Spending quality time with my family and friends 

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