How To Make Self-Care A Habit As Told By Top Instagrammers

At its core, the concept of self-care is pretty simple: taking care of yourself is an essential part of attaining any level of success, whether it be personal or professional. The tiny, day-to-day things you do to remind yourself that your mind, body, and feelings matter signal to the rest of the world that they matter, too.
But making self-care a priority in the hustle and bustle of career and family can get tough. Here are some ways to make self-care a habit, as told by some of Instagram’s top influencers.

Create Daily Self-Love Rituals

“What are your daily rituals? Perhaps they involve reading inspiring words, lighting a candle or enjoying a warm beverage as you wake up in the AM. Maybe you feel your life is lacking in ritual. Either way it is never too late to honor yourself and create space for your own ritual and blessing. It doesn’t have to be big or even bold, it just has to nourish you sweetly, filling your inner reservoir of energy and life.”
— Self-Care Sessions (@selfcaresessions)

Affirm Yourself

“Write down your affirmations daily. Be your biggest cheerleader, even on sucky days. Focus more on your ‘cans’ and less on your ‘cannots.’ Healthy and affirming self-talk is necessary.”
— Alex Elle (@alex_elle)
A photo posted by alexandra (@alex_elle) on Nov 3, 2016 at 12:07pm PDT

Make Time For Breakfast

“You know it and I know it: breakfast is the most important meal of the day! When you eat it, you’re not only boosting your metabolism and jumpstarting your day, but you’re also making yourself a priority (not your schedule or to-do lists).”

— Elise Museles (@kaleandchocolate)

Fully Receive Love From Others

“Receiving love is something that used to be difficult for me. I would give and give and give… but never fully receive. I would change the subject when compliments were given, and I would pursue relationships that wouldn’t give me love in return. Receiving used to be tough…but not anymore. I make a point to receive daily. It felt awkward at first, and now it just feels so damn good. I’ve even created a wall of gratitude in my office with love letters and cards from clients. I love looking at this wall and taking it all in…taking in the love and appreciation from others. It fills my cup and makes me an even stronger woman and coach.”

— Ruby Fremon (@iamruby)

Do A Digital Detox

“Do what you love, and try to take a break from your digital devices. It’s so important to allow yourself a timeout for a digital detox. Your mind will thank you later.”

— Retreat Here (@retreathere)

Find A Mental Health Check-In Buddy

“Let’s have a mental health check-in shall we? It’s okay to be honest about how you’re feeling. Maybe you don’t have the words, but you know when ppl ask ‘how are you doing?’ and you reply ‘good’ with a smile, that you’re really wishing they never asked bc you don’t know how you feel and it’s just frustrating. I get it, and I’ve been there. In this little digital space I’ve made great friends and one has turned into my mental health check-in buddy…I like to spread love and light, not only with yoga, but wellness as a whole.”

— SQA (@iamsqa)

Choose Calming Thoughts

“We can’t always choose how we feel. However, we can choose our actions. Your actions can be aligned with perpetuating stress and worry or aligned with cultivating calm. Which do you choose?”

— Dr. Rebecca Ray (@happihabits)

Forgive Yourself (And Others)

“Forgiveness is one of my self-care secret weapons. So many bristle at the thought of forgiveness because they believe it means absolving others of bad deeds. […] It simply means releasing yourself from the hold that anger, hurt and resentment that get stuck in your body when you hold a grudge. You don’t have to forget what people have done to heal. Just forgive. Forgiving yourself for all the stupid stuff you have done in the past might be the hardest thing you will ever do and totally worth it. Who will you forgive today?”

— Tami Hackbarth (@tamihackbarth)
A photo posted by Tami Hackbarth (@tamihackbarth) on Oct 31, 2016 at 8:23am PDT

Don’t Overthink

“You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to change things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That’s the only thing you should be trying to change, how you think and how you feel about yourself. The universe is not punishing you. It is not blessing you. It is not controlling you. The universe responds to the vibration you are creating. Think happy and happiness will come to you. Think negatively and negativity will come to you. What we put out into the universe, we will get back like an echo.”
— Idil Ahmed @idillionaire