Self-Care Strategies to Help Out Your Future Self
“Preparation clears a pathway for success”- Ron Kaufman
A big part of self-care is looking out for your future self and setting yourself up for success. We have come up with six strategies that you can do this week to make life easier and less stressful for your future self.
1.Meal Prep
Take care of future-you by prepping your meals or snacks ahead of time! You’re giving yourself the opportunity to nourish yourself with good food plus you are avoiding the stress of last-minute meals and getting hangry. This also helps save money and cut unnecessary costs of eating out for meals that you can prepare yourself in advance.
2.Make Time for Movement
If you don’t make time for moving your body, it is easy to push it to another day and blame it on not having time. Instead, put some time in your calendar for movement. Even just 10 minutes is great to get your endorphins flowing and allow yourself some time for just yourself. Some ways to incorporate exercise into your daily life is waking up 30 minutes earlier to walk outside or exercise in your home. (Did you know Netflix has home exercise videos?) You can also try taking a walk on your break at work or incorporating exercise into your workday.
3.Make Playlists
Music is a powerful tool that can get you out of a funk, pump you up, or calm you down. Make some mood-specific playlists that you can put on when you’re feeling in a specific mood. Future you will thank you for creating these playlists when you had time/in the right headspace. Play a calming music playlist in the background of your day as you work, get ready in the morning, and during any other ordinary day routines.
4.Limit Social Media
Controlling your social media use will always make you feel better, so set specific time for it in your schedule! You can also limit how much time you spend on an app on your phone…setting these limits will help future you avoid doom-scrolling.
5.Take Vacation Days
Be mindful about actually taking your vacation days. If you don’t plan something ahead of time, you’re less likely to get away on a vacation and more likely to suffer from burnout. It doesn’t have to be expensive, maybe plan a camping trip or weekend roadtrip just to get away for a few days!
6.Make Time for Activities
Write out what your values are, and plan some activities to go along with these values! Do you want to spend more time in nature? Go on a hike, bike ride, horseback riding, etc. Once you are clear on what your values are, it’ll be easier to plan ahead for future you.
We hope you can find this list useful and encourage you to start by incorporating one or two of these tips at a time! Your future self will thank you later!
