With a busy schedule that sometimes has you in the studio more often than it has you out of it, it can be hard to find the time for the routines that most of us think of when we hear the term “self-care”. You don’t always have time to give yourself an at-home spa day, and that’s ok! Self-care isn’t all bath bombs and fluffy robes (even though that is so worth the effort). As much fun as is it is to go all out, building a more manageable level of self-care into your everyday routine might be even more beneficial than the occasional full-fledged pampering.
Manage Your Morning
The best time for self-care is when you start your day. When you start with positivity and self-love, you’re setting yourself up for a day that is just that much brighter. Get up in time to do all the things you need to do. Write a powerful and inspiring message on your mirror before you go to bed, so you can wake up and get excited about the day. Give yourself time to dance while you get ready. Where an outfit that represents who you are. Eat breakfast. If you leave the house with a smile on your face, you’ve done your job.
Journal
Sometimes we all need to talk to ourselves. Now, you don’t necessarily need to sit down and start shouting all of your problems out into the air, but getting out your thoughts and feelings is good for your mental health. Take time to journal, get out whatever you’re thinking! It doesn’t have to be a rant. You don’t have to turn journaling into just venting, but whatever emotions you have, putting them on the page lets you keep them from weighing you down and gives you time to properly explore what’s going on in your life. Do you know how sometimes you just need to talk to your best friend? Journaling can be a lot like that.
Speak Positively About Yourself
Pay attention to the words you use to describe yourself. You want to make sure that when you talk about yourself you are being true to yourself. What follows when you say “I am…”? A good place to start would be “fabulous”!
Give Yourself Small Rewards
As a busy dancer, you are accomplishing things every day! Whether you improved an extension or mastered just a tiny bit more of that choreography you’ve been working on, you are getting work done! Make sure to reward yourself. A reward can be as simple as a pat on the back or as grand as buying yourself something. Just acknowledging your accomplishments is self-care.
Sleep!
The most important kind of everyday self-care that we can all focus on fitting into our busy schedules is sleep. Making sure that you have a good sleep schedule is key for having the energy to do all the things you love, and for being your usual bright, bouncy self.
