7 Mini Self-Care Goals To Try This Year
It's now 2024, and everyone has their resolutions. Let's be honest, some stick around past January, while others don't make it past January 3rd. Making drastic, life-changing resolutions can overwhelm us. So, instead, it's better to make small changes or mini goals that we can actually accomplish. In fact, it's actually been studied that it's easier, and more satisfying to achieve small goals than the usual big ones that we're accustomed to making. We've gathered some ideas on mini goals you can make along your self-care journey. Check them out below:
1. Focus on sleep
Allow yourself time to prepare for bed and get an adequate amount of sleep each night. Try starting a night routine. First decide on a bedtime and wake-up time that are most conducive to your schedule. Following a consistent sleep schedule helps train your brain to naturally feel tired at bedtime. Once you have your bedtime, schedule a time to begin your bedtime routine so your brain knows to begin winding down for sleep. Your bedtime routine could consist of bedtime tea, a warm bath, turning off electronics, indulging in your skincare routine, and/or reading a book.
2. Try a time out from social media
Scrolling through social media can distract us from being present in our lives and also persuades us to make unfair comparisons between ourselves and those whose pages we see. There's a famous quote from Theodore Roosevelt, "Comparison is the thief of joy," and is definitely accurate when it comes to describing how the constant comparing can take away from the enjoyment in our own lives. Your timeout from social media doesn't have to be lengthy. Try scheduling a certain amount of time that you are on social media for the day so you don't feel like you're fully removing yourself from social media, just limiting it. This form of self-care gives you a break from comparing yourself to others and allows you to be fully present in your life.
3. Schedule days of rest
Getting rest is critical in a similar way that sleep is because it allows the body and mind to recover from the activities of daily life. However, rest is easy to get lumped in with sleep and we often don't allow ourselves to relax and rest on a regular basis. So as a mini goal, you can make the point to schedule one day each month where you make no plans and have no obligations; you have a full day to do what brings you joy in the moment without outside pressures or expectations. If a day sounds a bit much, you can start by incorporating hours of intentional rest throughout your weeks.
4. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is defined as "a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations." Mindfulness can be practiced through activities like yoga or meditation. These practices can be used as a way of grounding when stress or anxiety becomes overwhelming. If yoga isn't your thing, there are other ways to incorporate mindfulness in your life. For example, putting away electronics and focusing on current activities and people that you're around are a way to ground yourself in that moment. It increases your connection to your feelings and to the people around you.
5. Spend time outside
Sunshine literally provides us with an essential nutrient, Vitamin D. Fresh air and sunshine can improve your mood and provide feelings of peace and contentment. Going outside can be a way to break up the monotony of a work day. Setting a self-care goal related to spending time outside could be taking short walks, going for a hike, or having lunch outside.
6. Organize your home
Clutter can increase feelings of being stressed, which isn't ideal in your living space where you should feel your most comfortable. Setting a mini self-care goal to declutter could be choosing a drawer in your house to organize each week or setting a monthly goal to go through items like clothes, books, or excess items to donate.
7. Create a gratitude list or journal
Practicing gratitude as an active part of your day can increase feelings of positivity and satisfaction within your daily life. It can help redirect focus away from negative thoughts and point them towards what makes you happy and thankful. Try writing down a daily or weekly gratitude list where you write multiple things that you're grateful for.
Our list just includes a few mini self-care goals for the new year. Make sure your goals focus on ways you can realistically support yourself and your happiness, without adding external pressures and expectations to reach a certain level of achievement. Your self-care goal should be realistic, enjoyable and valuable to your daily life.
Improving one's well-being is our goal at our Cashmere Moon Wellness Studio in Evans, Georgia. If you're in the area, feel free to stop by or check us out online here.
