OK, I’m going to be honest here, the short answer is YES!

First of all, let’s acknowledge something; self-care looks different for everyone, and what’s sustainable for one person might not be sustainable for someone else. So just because that person you follow on Instagram might say that their self-care practices take 2 hours out of their day, doesn’t mean you have to do that too to be able to call it self-care. What we should also be aware of is that Instagram is a great tool for people to show a very small snapshot of their day that might not actually show the whole truth - so remember this when you next find yourself comparing.

Now, onto the reality. If you haven’t already read my post What Is Self-Care? I recommend you start there.

Once you’ve read that, you will now have an idea of what self-care can look like, let’s talk about why you should be including it in your daily routine.

For anyone, like me, who loves to help other people, or serve others, self-care is your most important tool. You’ve heard the expression ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ right? And it’s true. If you’re always giving your love and care to other people, and not giving that same love and attention to yourself, you’re giving everything away, and not replenishing yourself. If you just keep giving, you’re going to drain yourself, and you’ll start to find yourself resenting people for draining you. But here’s the truth, you don’t have to let them drain you.

If you take just a few minutes every day, you can refill your cup, show yourself the love you deserve. Believe me, I’ve been there. I can tell you first-hand how important it is to have a good daily self-care practice. A few years ago, I found myself in a burnout experience, and feeling resentful towards helping people. Thankfully, I was able to access coaching and rediscover my beautiful self-care practices. As soon as I rediscovered these practices, I was able to refill my cup so beautifully I was able to serve those close to me with the love they deserved, while nurturing myself with the love I deserve.

So, essentially, by filling your own cup first, you’re then able to help others from a more beautiful place, and give them the love that they too deserve. Doesn’t that sound beautiful?

Now, I wouldn’t dream of going a day without treating myself to some form of self-care. Do you have a daily self-care practice?