It’s self-care Saturday & Sunday again, a.k.a, “The Weekend.”

Self-care should be a priority daily, but there’s no excuse not to use the weekend to go deeper with it.

I thought this weekend I’d provide a self-care checklist. This is mostly to offer a bunch of ideas on what you can do to focus --or refocus-- on taking care of yourself. You can cherry pick from this list to combine a few self-care tasks together to make more of a ritual.

Let’s concentrate on not just making self-care a way of life, but dividing it up into daily, weekly and even monthly rituals. I will share some of mine at the end.

• Do your nails, or get them done.
• Mani
• Pedi
• Hot bath with something that smells wonderful
• Tea and a book to read
• Listen to music you love
• Take a nap
• Eat something extremely nutritious
• Start taking a multivitamin
• Make and keep doctor’s appointments
• See a therapist
• Attend a 12-step meeting or other support group meeting (grief group etc)
• Buy yourself something you need (new shoes? raincoat?)
• Do a facial
• Make your favorite dessert
• Try a new restaurant
• Treat yourself to a movie
• Have coffee with a friend
• Journaling
• Take yourself on a date
• Get a massage
• Get your car washed
• Spend time in nature
• Meditate
• Pray
• Exercise
• Take a long walk
• Take a yoga class
• Work on your vision board

My self-care weekend so far...

So far this weekend, I have been working on every woman’s dreaded task -- the closet clean-out. I have also been doing a fall cleaning of my home. When you’re working a couple different careers at once, spending time cleaning and organizing is a luxury! I’m very good at cleaning! It makes me happy.

Do your thing.

Whatever it is, no matter how weird it is. Clean if it brings you joy. I’m getting into this minimalism and de-cluttering thing, but more on that in another post. (Which of course goes along with Flex Your Abundance Muscle).

I plan on doing my own favorite relaxation ritual tonight.

I take a long, hot bath with hot tea to drink. I fill my tea with honey and Bach Flower Remedies. I fill the tub with essential oils and Epsom salts. I turn on great music, dim the lights and light some candles. I do some yoga, read some spiritual texts (The Bible, A Course in Miracles, and whatever else I am reading at the moment). I like to also lay on my accu-pressure mat. It’s really relaxing once I get past the initial pressure.

What is important to me in this ritual is smell and sound.

I always use essential oils and good “spa music.” I use this when I do Reiki sessions on clients as well. The right atmosphere can be created with just these two simple things. One of my favorite artists right now is Desert Dwellers. I also love Kirtan and any music with tablas...perhaps I’ll make a separate post on music alone!

• What can you do to make your “me time” count?
• What can you do to create your own relaxation rituals?

  Heavenly Tea Leaves Tea Sampler (9 Flavor Variety Pack) Heavenly Tea Inc.  Buy on Amazon