Five Ways to Self-Care in 2021

It is a new year. A fresh start. I believe 2021 will be a great year for me and my family. I have so many goals I will achieve and wonderful things to look forward to this year. There is one goal that I am placing as priority this year. I am determined to reunite with a long lost friend named “Self-Care.”

Naturally, I am a busy body. I live by my planner. My schedule stays jammed packed with, but not limited to: my family, work, meetings, my involvement in both civic and professional organizations, my family’s needs, and my baby, Legal and Abroad. Not to mention I have a whole separate schedule for my son, his schooling, and activities. As a result, I often find myself over-worked, exhausted, and sleep deprived. Over the years, my on-the-go schedule and lack of self-care affected my health in a negative way to where my body broke down and I get sick. Listen y’all, not taking care of myself was one-star and raggedy.

2020 was a year of adjustment for me and my family. It was also very stressful. Along with dealing with an unprecedented pandemic; I was balancing virtual learning for my son, working full-time at a new job, and planning a wedding that was later postponed. Roy and I also went 327 days without seeing one another due to all of our trips being cancelled. You can read more about that here. There were relationships whose seasons had ended in my life. I was processing ALOT. After a review of my 2020, I made an oath to put myself as a priority. No job, relationship, or extracurricular activity is worth my mental or physical health.

In essence, after much thought and discussions with my therapist, I vowed in 2021 to make self-care a priority. I am no good to anyone else if I do not make myself a priority and take care of me. Self-care looks different for everyone. Below are five ways I am showing myself Self-care in 2021:

Setting Boundaries

This is a HUGE one for me. I refuse to over-extend myself this year. No longer will I entertain or waste my time or energy on things that do not bring me joy. I protect my peace in all ways, always. To aid in this, there are certain conversations I will block and certain actions I will not tolerate. No has become a favorite word of mine. I want you to say it aloud. “NO!” See, didn’t that feel so damn good?

For me, boundaries are an act of self-care and being authentic to myself. Going against my boundary to appease someone else is essentially saying “NO” to myself. That will never happen moving forward. I set boundaries for what I allow into my life and who has access to me. I honor my worth and my time because I am valuable; and that is the black ass bottom line.

Getting Plenty of Rest

Y’all not gonna have ya girl up late this year. I do not respond to messages or receive calls after a certain time (oh look, a BOUNDARY right there) because my sleep is priority to me. No more all nighters. When I have adequate rest, I operate from a better place and head space. Getting rest helps with my weight, my stress levels, and my overall health. I aim to get 7-8 quality hours of sleep per night. What is not completed or answered by a certain time will have to wait until the next day.

Exercising and Making Healthy Food Choices

Exercise release endorphins, aids, and boosts energy. For me, exercising is an act of self-care. I love to exercise. Becoming in tune with my body and exercising regularly helps me to become more focused and more present with my partner, my family, and myself. I have learned that the more I exercise, the better my quality of sleep. I only get one body and will do my best to take the care of her. Additionally, I am committed to eating better and being intentional about what I put into my body. I eat clean 80 percent of the time, and the other 20 percent, I indulge in what I love. Everything in moderation.

Practicing Gratitude

I practice gratitude and meditate daily. When I express gratitude for what I have, I open myself to receiving more. Being spiritually in tune with myself and God along with aligning my chakras is very important to me. I am so grateful to be in this space. Also, I have affirmations that I say in the mornings and I have an affirmation app on my phone that changes every 30 minutes. Those little messages come right on time and help me to focus on the positive. Check out the affirmation app that I use here.

Treating Myself

Lastly, if there is something that I truly want, it is mine without question. Why? Well, in the words of the great Tabitha Brown, “cause that’s my business!” There is nothing wrong with treating yo’self! I worked very hard to get where I am and so blessed to live the life that I have. I plan to enjoy every single day of my life because we are only here for a moment. If there is something I want to experience, I will do it fully and enjoy it thoroughly.

BONUS:

I am also going to use my accrued leave because I am known to never take time off unless necessary (which is insane, right?). Also, I plan to take time for myself and my family and enjoy my little tribe. My family and making memories with them is important to me. The job will always be there. Trust me, if a person passes away, that job will be posted before the obituary is printed. I have seen it happen. TAKE. THE. LEAVE!!! You will feel refreshed and will perform better when you take care of yourself.

It is my hope that you find value and comfort through this post. Remember you are worth it and deserve amazing things. Now go treat yo’self!

What are you doing for self-care in 2021?