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My (current) favorite self care practices.

Hi guys! A year-ish ago I shared 13 of my favorite self care practices, now I wanted to share what I’m doing lately for self care.  Just so you know, some of the below are affiliate links :)

  1. Planning trips we may never take

    I do this all the time! I love looking at all the houses on Airbnb and finding the prettiest.  Sometimes I find a place so pretty that we just have to go.  That’s what happened for the LA trip haha. That place was so dreamy!

  2. Audible

    I am such a huge Audible fan! I go through 1-2 books/month.  I love knowing I have a book to listen to during the week while I drive, in between clients, or when cooking dinner in the evenings.  I have never been a big reader and learn information way better when listening to it: audiobooks and podcasts for the win! Speaking of podcasts, I was on Georgie’s podcast recently! 

    Back to Audible, I recently read the below book.  It talked a lot about the brain and how we can get stuck in unhelpful thought patterns, like we can train our brain into being more and more anxious.  It was interesting! I liked it!

  3. Talkspace

    I go see a therapist when I feel I need to see a therapist.  A good indicator for me is when I feel like I’m getting overly dependent on Andrew for my happiness.  Recently I felt like I needed to talk with someone and I tried out TalkSpace.  Talkspace offers therapy with a professional licensed therapist, anytime and anyplace, without having to wait a week for your next appointment.  I’ve really liked it.  Me and my therapist talk once a day (I just type a message for her and she responds promptly) and it’s really helpful just knowing there is someone there for me to talk to.  

    Some thoughts on TalkSpace:

    It’s like a journal that talks back.

    I really like writing instead of talking.  I get nervous when I talk (even to friends) and feel like I lose track of what I’m trying to say.  When I saw therapists face-to-face in the past I always felt like I was talking just to talk (…perhaps it just wasn’t the right therapist?).  With Talkspace I get to make sure that the words I’m writing are exactly what I’m trying to communicate.

    Also, it was hard for me to find a therapist in Houston since I collaborate with a lot of them concerning my clients.

    So I’m a Talkspace fan!  You can get $30 off TalkSpace Unlimited Messaging Therapy PLUS Plan with code DISCOUNT30.

  4. Reaching out to people.

    I’ve never been good about reaching out when I need support, so I have to be very intentional with this one.  Lately I’ve been sure to schedule dates with friends and new friends when I feel there is an area I need support in.  Probably will share more on this later without being so vague :)

  5. Sleep

    Like I said above, I was recently on Georgie’s Podcast and she asked what I do for self care.  While it’s always changing, as I learn more and more about myself, something I have been prioritizing in the last 6 months is sleep.  At first I tracked my sleep for two weeks and saw I was getting 5 1/2 – 10 hours a sleep a night, slowly but surely I’ve transitioned to getting 8-9 hours each night.  

    Falling asleep is hard for me.  I’ve been trying to explore why and I really think it’s because my anxiety is the highest first thing in the morning and when I get in bed at night I start thinking about having to wake up with it.  Something I’m exploring with my therapist.

    A blog reader reached out letting me know that her mom got her PhD studying the use of lavender essential oil and sleep.  She was so kind and sent me some lavender essential oil patches to try out.  If you want to try them, you can order them here and read the research on them here.  They found a connection between inhaling lavender and falling asleep easier, waking up less during the night, and feeling more rested in the morning.  I find being very intentional and mindful with my bedroom routine is helpful, so occasional essential oil patches are helpful in that!  Other things I’m doing: making my bed (most) mornings (to make it cozy!), getting into bed around 10:30pm each night, and using a meditation app to help me fall asleep.  The meditation app I use is my next self care practice below! 

  6. Insight Timer App

    I have been getting more and more into meditation and am currently working hard at having a daily practice.  The Insight Timer App has SO many guided meditations to choose from.  For right now, I’m really enjoying guided meditations rather than just laying down and focusing on breath.

  7. Eating out

    I just haven’t felt like cooking lately.  I think one thing contributing to this has been while getting the private practice started I’ve been go-go-go and cooking hasn’t felt very soothing.  I’m happy things are calming down now, but I’ve been enjoying grocery shopping less and eating out more during this season of life!

  8. Finding (new) joyful movements

    I’m always changing up my movement.  Currently the things making me feel the best are swimming (it feels so great to stretch out after work somedays) and ropes!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog post! It’s something new!!!

14 comments

  1. 4 – Reaching Out to People is something I struggle with letting myself do, but it’s always so rewarding. Your friends love you no matter what, they’re going to want to help you feel better, they’re not gonna judge you for not being perfect or for feeling less-than sometimes!

  2. I’m definitely going to check out Talkspace!! I feel the same way about seeing a therapist face-to-face, I always feel like I ramble and never really answer their question. Yesterday I reached out to my friends to hang out and that was a big win for me! I never initiate plans!!

  3. Thank you for sharing all of these wonderful points! I felt antsy yesterday, so I finally sat down and colored a little before bed. It did help to relax my mind, and I have intentions to make sleep and calming strategies a priority. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s post!

  4. lately, sleep and connecting with people has been my idea for self-care and its awesome. i have been trying to schedule a weekday meetup with friends for happy hour or coffee date and its great!!!!

  5. Re: Movement. Have you ever tried a trampoline gym/place?! I did one several months ago and it was so fun! And a surprisingly good workout!!

  6. Can I ask a question about intuitive eating? I meant to put this on your request for ideas last week and forgot and then got directed to an intuitive eating blogger today and it reminded me. The post was “how I quit late night snacking” and it had me feeling all kids of…weird and confused. I’m new to intuitive eating and you may have addressed this on earlier posts- and I apologize if so; I’m still gong back through. The author mentioned how for her it was a habit and she wanted to replace it with a better habit. Every night after my kids are in bed my husband and I watch a little TV and have s snack; I usually feel hungry but sometimes I probably just do it because of the enjoyment of being with my husband. I feel like that’s ok but … a lot of the commenters mentioned they were trying to quit night snacking as well. I know I can’t do intuitive eating wrong but…I don’t know. Maybe I just need reassurance? Maybe someone here can point me in the right direction. This blog is awesome and I appreciate all of your sharing. And can’t wait to see what you are doing that’s new and ropes?!

  7. I haven’t been into cooking either! Can totally relate, plus it’s fun to find and try new restaurants :)

  8. Although you haven’t had great experiences with counselors in the past, I think it’s super self-aware of you to know when it’s time to talk it out with a professional. People probably expect you to be an expert at that, but I can imagine it’s humbling to ask for help when you’re usually the one counseling! (As an aside, the counselors with which I’ve had the most honest and beneficial relationships have always been open about going to counseling themselves). :)

  9. Oh how I look so forward to your blog posts! You’ve helped me so much in my ED healing with eating out and not being so afraid of it, to embrace the seasons of eating out and cooking as they change for me. Looking forward to tomorrows post :)

  10. i LOVE planning trips!! it’s nice to just have a bucket list or zone out looking at travel photos! i do that with houses too, sometimes my boyfriend and i look at zillow to see what’s for sale, even though we could never afford it!

    super into audible too – my favorite thing is to go on long walks with my audiobooks!!

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  12. I love these self care ideas Kylie :)
    My biggest self care act lately was having surgery, which may sound strange. I was diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Cancer in early March and three weeks later I had surgery to remove the right lobe of my liver and some of my small intestine. Instead of taking a ‘woe is me’ attitude I chose to view it as an act of self care, perhaps the ultimate act of self care! Saving my own life. (I’m cancer free now!)
    After surgery my self care has been making sure I take plenty of time to rest (not that being super active was an option for a while lol), watching re-runs of Fixer Upper, and spending time with my friends and family.
    I love your self care posts, and the reminder that the self care practices that are right for us can change and adapt over time when we are in different stages of life :)

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