10 Tips to Help Find a Daily Rhythm for Self Care in the City

‘Self Care Sunday’. ‘Easy like Sunday morning’. Just a few sayings that never really resonated with me because of what Sundays normally look like for me. As a person of faith, Sundays are filled with church activities, community time, and constant human interaction. All beautiful things but for the very confusing personality type that is ENFP, this can be very exhausting. As an extrovert, I love the people time and the buzz of activity. But coming at 54% extroverted, that 46% introvert would be dead by the end of the day. Not to mention, ENFP’s need to draw away and be alone to regain vision and excitement for life. With all that said, I’ve had to find another day of the week to self care.

I suppose for the normal 9 to 5 person, this makes sense. And I know there are quite a few of those career type folk out there. But in a city, especially entertainment cities like Atlanta, NYC, and LA, there are a lot of hustling actor/musicians/creatives hustling to and from gigs while also holding down a part time job with wonky hours. I remember my restaurant days, working the brunch service, getting my ass handed to me by the ever flowing pour of coffee and Bloody Marys. So where do we all find our self care, if we can’t do it the ‘normal’ way?

I’ve learned that for my personality type, obligations on Sunday, and general pace of life, I’ve had to embrace a lifestyle of self care. Life doesn’t look like a sprint to the finish line that is Friday at 5pm, it is the constant navigation of finding holes in my week and schedule to insert some self love. Maybe you work at a restaurant and you never know when your day off will be? It’s the constant ebb and flow of a life lived to the beat of a different drum other than the 9 to 5 drum. Here’s how I’ve learned to infuse daily moments of self care into my week.

  • Alone Time

    • This may be easier for some more than others. Regardless if you’re extroverted and avoid it or an introvert who is just too busy for it, it is actually a life line. Getting alone for an hour or two, without any demands but to breathe in and out. Try putting your phone on airplane mode and practice meditation.

  • Rid home of clutter

    • Make your space beautiful and decluttered. Feeling the clarity that comes from a well thought out and decorated space is phenomenal. If you’re just starting the beautification process on your space but low on money, set a reasonable budget and work slowly. There’s always money to move around.

  • Proper Sleep

    • I’m not a parent yet so I’m still unclear as to how they do it in the early years. I know you are given the grace to do it through sheer unconditional love, but otherwise, sleep is a must. You will always lag when you don’t have adequate sleep. Try setting the same bedtime and routine to help make it a ceremonious and exciting event to look forward to at the end of the day.

  • Walks

    • There is nothing more caring for yourself than letting your mind wander and enjoy the beauty of the world around on you on a nice long walk. If you live in an area you prefer not to walk in, go ahead and drive yourself to the nearest area you love. Don’t let it stop you from getting outside to clear your mind and drink in the fresh air.

  • Take yourself out for coffee

    • It’s a simple and inexpensive joy, especially if you’re making coffee at home consistently. A $5 dollar latte to sip and savor is like a treat and a mini luxury for your tastebuds. Nothing cozier than a yummy latte and a good book.

  • Get your face mask on

    • Not the COVID 19 kind of mask, the skin care kind of mask. If you’re in the LA area, this Korean market sells them for a dollar a mask and are excellent. (Pick up some yummy ready eat Korean food for great prices too)

  • Find a really good candle

    • Seems so simple but finding a really good candle with a scent you love and actually let it burn for hours while you’re home is a great way to show yourself some self care. Maybe it’s a scent that reminds you of your childhood or a really awesome time in life. Scent can be so powerful.

  • Get into some Brene brown

    • One of the greatest ways of investment into yourself is digging into your own vulnerability. It seems too simple to make such a huge impact but the work Brene Brown has done on shame researches is groundbreaking and shows you how much the lack of vulnerability effects your every day life. I’d suggest with “The Gift of Imperfections” to start with.

  • Check in with yourself and write it down

    • Journalling may seem like an activity you did when you were 12 that you started each entry with “Dear Diary”, but it is not a thing of the past. Take time to check in with yourself and really understand how you are doing. You can be so cathartic to write out what you’re experiencing and to look back months later to see how much has changed.

Whatever your version of self care ends up being, know that it’s ok if it looks different than what some of the self care branding out there looks like today. Know yourself enough to know what works for you and do that. I have found that infusing moments of self care throughout the day and not just reserving it for one day creates a long lasting approach at healthy living.

Amanda BrookeComment