How can a self-care menu make me feel better and help me become productive again?
Do you ever feel stuck in a rut, feel unmotivated to do anything?
It could be in the running of your day-to-day activities, like business, exercising, or even practising your heavy, demanding self-care activities.
When you feel your energy is super low, and you feel unmotivated, this is not the best time to try the daily activities you struggle with.
In fact, it is the perfect time to create a self-care menu and pick out a few self-care ideas “meals” to fire up your energy.
A simple self-care idea or item such as journaling from your self-care menu could change your perception of things and help you feel better faster.
A little story;
In February and the first two and half weeks of March, I battled Impostor syndrome. I had little or no interest in running my business or the energy to go about daily activities.
And like everyone who isn’t conscious of the power of their self-care menu, I tried doing those activities I was “supposed” to do, and it did not help.
However, realizing I could journal my thoughts, and how I truly felt about the entire situation made me feel better in a couple of days, and I could go back to my activities.
In my case, journaling my thoughts for 5 minutes is a part of my self-care menu. Journaling my thought is simple and easy self-care activity.
Therefore, I hope you see the picture I’m painting; a self-care menu doesn’t have to be filled with activities that leave you helpless when you think about them.
So, without further ado, what is a self-care menu, and how to create a self-care menu?
What is a Self Care Menu?
A self-care menu is a list of self-care ideas, things, and exciting ways to charge up your energy and take you from unproductivity, gloom, and generally unmotivated to a happy state where you are excited, productive, and well.
You know what a self-care menu can do to your day, so how can you create a self-care menu that makes you feel happy and better?
10 Tips for Creating a Surefire Self Care Menu + 60 Self Care Ideas
Below is a list of ways you can create a surefire self-care menu with 60 self-care ideas that will make your self-care routine no longer look or feel like a chore.
1 | Create a List of Self Care Ideas (Meals) for your Self Care Menu
When creating a self-care menu, start with self-care activities you already have in your daily self-care routine.
You should start writing down the activities that make you happy, feel fulfilled, and feel pumped up.
It could be a simple self-care task that can last between 1 to10-minutes.
Add more ideas to your list once you are done with all the simple self-care ideas you’ve been practicing. At this point, you can research more actionable self-care ideas.
2 | Breakdown Your Self-care Routine into Four
After making a list of surefire self-care ideas, the next step is categorizing these self-care ideas into four groups or menu plans. You can group your self-care ideas to a self-care menu, such as;
Starters, Simple or Plan A Self Care Menu Ideas:
These are self-care activities you can engage in for 1-and 15 minutes. They are simple, easy to accomplish and make you feel at ease.
You can easily carry out these activities even when you feel unmotivated, tired, or gloomy. I’d like to call this category of your self-care menu the appetizers.
Some simple or Appetizing (1-15 minutes self-care Ideas ) activities to add to your Self Care Menu;
1) Enjoy a cup of coffee or your favorite drink
2) Find a cozy spot and drink a glass of chilled water
3) Polish your nails
4) Take a warm bubble bath, add candles and calming music
5) Watch a short youtube video from your favorite channel
6) Read a devotional or Bible verse
7) Do some stretches
8) Do dishes if it helps you clear your headspace
9) Try 10 words of affirmations that help you feel better
10) Read aloud your favorite quotes that make you feel charged up
11) buy some fresh flowers for yourself
12) Window shop online (lol)
13) Listen to songs that make you feel excited
14) Take a walk or stroll around your house and garden
These are some easy or appetizing self-care activities you can add to your self-care menu.
So, brainstorm those simple yet exciting self-care ideas that you can practice for 1-15 minutes and not feel overwhelmed or overthink.
And fill up your Appetizing self-care menu category with these activities.
Medium, Plan B or Desserts Self-Care Menu Ideas:
The medium, Plan B or Soup Self-care menu ideas are self-care activities that you can engage in between 16-45 minutes to accomplish.
They consume a bit of time. You can carry out these activities when you have less energy, and these self-care menu ideas will help you ease out of a tough day.
Some examples of medium self-care activities to add to your self-care menu are;
1) Journalling
2) Listening to podcasts
3) Play games
3) do your makeup
4) Ride a bike
5) meditation
6) Read a chapter of a book
7) Getting a massage
8) Taking a nap
9) Practice your skincare routine
10) Writing
11) Cuddling your pet
Long, Plan C or Main Course Self Care Menu Ideas
This is your ideal self-care plan and your main self-care routine that is a surefire way to get your energy level up.
However, practising these self-care routines takes between 1 to 3 hours.
Some examples of Long, Plan C, or Main course self-care menu activities are;
1) Going on a hike
2) Making homemade meals
3) Organizing your closet
4) Organizing your pantry
5) Journaling
6) Going to the gym
7) Cleaning out your living space
8) Visiting a loved one
9) Hanging out with friends
10) Going on solo dates
11) Volunteering for a cause you care about
12) Cleaning your emails
13) Organizing game night with friends
14) Visiting a spa
15) Watch movies and your favorite shows
16) Spending time in nature
17) Go to a museum
18 Take a staycation
The Special Course (Self-care Activities)
These are self-care activities that are engaging, they help you feel fresh and reborn, but you definitely cannot do them every day.
They are self-care routines you can practice a few times a year, but they help you feel better.
Some examples of the Special course self-care menu activities include;
1) Planning and going on Vacation
2) Attending a wellness retreat
3) Going on group camps
4) Ticking your bucket list etc
5) Practice a new hobby
6) Learn a new skill
7) Create a Vision Board
3 | BrainStorm How you Can Incorporate your Self-care Menu into Your life
Right after creating your self-care menu, the next thing to consider is how to incorporate your self-care menu or self-care routines into your daily life and activities.
Create a balance between your daily activities and your self-care. It could be sitting down for a few minutes at the office and grabbing a cup of coffee or your favorite drink.
4 | Select Items from Your self- menu and Practice Daily
After brainstorming activities, you can practice daily according to your daily routine. Pick out meals (self-care ideas) from your self-care menu and practice daily.
For example, if you feel very stressed after work, having a bubble bath with candles and diffusers can help you feel better or a cup of your favorite drink.
Another example is: if you’ve been indoors all day, walking around in nature can help you feel better, or taking a stroll around your garden.
Having a self-care menu is to create a self-care plan that meets your self-care needs at every point in time.
5 | Plan Your Self Care Routine Ahead of Time
According to Amy Leigh Mercree, “When we self-regulate well, we are better able to control the trajectory of our emotional lives and resulting actions based on our values and sense of purpose.”
You need to be intentional about your self-care habits.
Additionally, plan your self-care routine a few days before time, especially for the medium, long and Special self-care activities in your self-care menu. Because planning helps you stay accountable.
6 | Set Self Care Tracking and Accountability
Start tracking your self-care habits using a bullet journal, a habit tracker, or a to-do list.
If you are the type of person obsessed with having a to-do list, write your self-care activities for the day as a to-do list and check as many boxes as possible.
You can also install a habit tracker app on your phone to keep yourself accountable.
However, practicing intentional self-care can seem like a chore, but keep scheduling and practicing your self-care routine until it becomes a habit.
7 | Evaluate your Self-Care Menu and Self Care Routine
Sometimes, what may seem like self-care to others may genuinely burden you.
Because we all have different types of personality traits.
For example, someone who loves parties, loud music, and clubbing may find going to clubs as self-care because it offers them the opportunity to feel at ease.
While for someone who hates parties, it may indeed be a chore and energy draining.
So, you need to carry out A/B testing of some self-care ideas you will include in your self-care menu.
Evaluate these self-care ideas for a while before finally incorporating them into your routine.
Always ask yourself, “why am I practising these self-care routines” and if you answer that question honestly and a particular activity doesn’t fit into your overall self-care goal, let it go.
8 | Adjust and Tweak Your Self Care Menu as You Go
They say, “change is the only constant thing in life.”
Your self-care menu can be subject to change. After evaluating your self-care activities and you’ve picked out routines and self-care ideas that work best for you, tweak your self-care menu as you go.
9 | Practice Gratitude and Cheer Yourself
Many people feel better when they finally achieve a simple goal or tick an activity off their to-do list.
While for some persons, instant gratifications mean absolutely nothing to them.
If achieving a simple task makes you feel motivated, then go ahead and reward yourself for creating and practicing the self-care ideas in your self-care menu.
Use a Self Care Menu Template
Finally, using a self-care menu template can help you track your self-care activities, plan ahead of time and help boost your productivity.
Download my free self-care menu template and get started with your self-care plans.
