A self-care plan- with five ways to take better care of yourself? I do not know if I have time for one, let alone five, Miss Barbie’s Beauty Bits.

I get it; life can be stressful and downright hectic, whether the stress of your job, honey-dos, or running the kids to every activity in the world. Many do not add me time to the to-do list. Primarily, I see this because many feel guilty about self-care. But the truth is, if you do not take care of yourself, you are worthless to others.

Statistics demonstrate that self-care promotes positive health outcomes, including resilience, longevity, and more effective stress management. So toss that ignorant thought that self-care is vanity, as self-care is SANITY! Read more below on this.

Self-care Is Not Vanity It Is Sanity
First, let’s clear up one common misconception: Self-care does not mean self-indulgence, vanity, or selfishness.

A self-care routine means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy. From physically and mentally to managing stress, to lower blood pressure, self-care for anxiety, and even the hours of sleep. The health benefits will not only allow you to succeed at work and care for others but basically live.

You’re right if you think you’ve heard more about self-care. One indicator: According to Google Trends, the number of searches for “self-care” is around 2,930,000,000.

The need for self-care is more prevalent than ever, especially with the shit show world we live in. We need to be able to cope with everyday life and stress, and maintaining self-care will get you there. And I am here to help with my top 5 ways to better care for yourself.  

When It Comes To Self-care Change, Tiny Is The All Mighty
The key to an effective care routine is to crawl, walk, run, as you do not want to stress yourself out, trying to de-stress. When we conquer each small step, these small behaviors will become a long-term habit before you even know it. You don’t have to take my word for it, though.

I am the forever Sheldon (from Big Bang Theory), as my friends call me, and I am always open to learning, which is precisely what I did with the help of Pila, from Heaven On Earth Day Spa when she shared The Small Changes with me That Change Everything.

 I learned that creating easy self-care habits can be fun if done correctly. And what better what to kick off summer than creating easy, fun, small habits that stick early on that will allow you to feel great about yourself.

The Ultimate Self Care Routine

Getting Enough Sleep For Self-care
Anti-anxiety deep sleep tips

I’m starting here to show you that you can take any new self-care habit and dial it back, so it is super tiny. It is like planting a seed that will blossom into something big. But aside from being small, it needs to be something realistic, and you like. No matter how small or significant, you will not do it if you hate it.

An example of getting enough sleep is to realize and not stress over the fact you can’t always control the factors that interfere with your sleep. However, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. When you reduce that stress with acceptance, you will start to sleep better.

Once you got that down, try some of these for getting enough sleep for self-care:

• Stick to a sleep schedule
• Create a restful environment
• Turn off electronics and blue light
• Sleep with an anti-aging pillow

Eating Healthy For Self-care
Eating healthy is one of the most fundamental things that many overlook. It is simple to pick up food to go because it is quick.

But have you ever looked at the price? Holy crap, it is not what it used to be, and let’s not forget how unhealthy. Even the so-called healthy items are filled with sodium, leading to heart disease.

The truth is we are what we eat. Aside from the obvious issues of unhealthy foods eating healthy for self-care can also keep our minds working and alert.

For example, research shows eating healthy foods can help reduce the risks of short-term memory loss and inflammation, which can have long-term effects on the brain and, in turn, the rest of the body.

And guess what, aside from the mental health of the body. Eating healthy can create other improvements like your skin looking and feeling better, which is why I love making anti-aging smoothies. And beauties, it is not that hard. All you need is the right blender, and I love the Cocinare Personal Blender for Smoothies; it is the best smoothie blender on Amazon.

The key is understanding what healthy foods work best! Here are some smoothie ingredients to slow aging and their benefits.

• Blueberries: High in antioxidants & contain vitamin C, which aids in collagen production
• Strawberries: High in vitamin C, which is good for your skin as it fights off free radicals
• Avocados: One of the best food sources of omega-3 fatty acids. high in vitamin E, which helps improve skin texture
• Leafy Greens: Kale and spinach contain vitamins A, C, and K—which work together to help your skin enhance its radiance
• And do not forget the ALMOND MILK! Almonds contain linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that helps prevent skin dryness.

Include Exercise As Part Of Your Self-care Routine
I know you are thinking, how the heck do I have time to workout, Miss Barbie? But again, it is all baby steps. For instance, park further away instead of parking close to the door. Or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Or, if possible, why not use part of your lunchtime to enjoy the outdoors? Researchers have found that spending time outside can reduce fatigue, thereby improving symptoms of depression and burnout. While these may seem minor, they can make a difference in you feeling good if you do them daily.

Another thing to consider if going to the gym is out of the question is some online workouts. I a series I love is from Chloe Ting, and the best part is the exercises are only about 15 minutes, using your own body weight, so no dumbbells are needed. And yes, they make a big difference.

Spa Time For Self-care
There is nothing like a day of pampering. Whether it’s a stress-relieving massage, an uplifting facial, a hair blowout, or a relaxing spa treatment, these are a must for the ultimate self-care practices.

However, a spa-day spoil outside the home can be difficult for many of us! But no worries, as there are numerous things you can do to create the ultimate at-home spa treatment. See some of my favorites below: 

And beauties, while skincare can seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be. There are many places online, Barbie’s Beauty Bits, of course, and some other well-known websites like CleverlyBeauty-a hub for women who want help with their beauty routines.

So there you have it, Barbie’s Beauty Bits Five Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself! By implementing some of these self-care tips, you will ultimately be taking good care of your body, immune system, and mental and emotional health of the mind and body.