Creative Ideas for Self Care Sunday

You might have remembered from a couple weeks back on the blog that one of my New Year's resolutions for a creative and happy New Year was to take time for self-care.

I mentioned a few self-care ideas in that post but I thought I would put together of a whole list of creative ideas for you to try. There is something on this self care idea list for just about everyone. I tried to include a wide range of cost too, from free and up! Let's be honest, we all want self-are but it shouldn't cost an arm and a leg which is totally defeating the purpose and causing you less self-care i.e. stress about money. 

For me personally, my creativity thrives on self-care. For those of you not working in a creative field, painting might actually be a really a good outlet to try for self care. It nourishes your creative spirit and can be a form of meditation when you get in that zen like flow. I also find spending time with my adorable dog Mr.Bailey a form of self care. it nurtures my bond with animals and I embrace his care free spirit in the moment.  It's definetitely self-care, especially with my dog who loves to play and go for along walks, i.e. self care.

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25 Creative Ideas for Self Care Sunday

1. buy yourself a variety of flowers and make your own arrangement, get creative!
2. meal prep and try out new healthy recipes
3. try journaling or sketching in a notebook
4. read a new book or pick up an inspiring magazine
5. go shopping for the perfect new perfume or essential oil for your personality
6. take your dog for a long walk in new neighborhood
7. or volunteer to walk a dog at an animal shelter
8. organize your closet, make three piles: donate, sell and keep!
9. clean and organize your jewelry
10. drink warm water with lemon first thing in the morning
11. have a social media free day
12. try meditating, use an app like clam or headspace
13. call a friend to catch up
14. meet a family member for lunch
15. play a board game with your roommates or spouse
16. go for a hike
17. make a beautiful smoothie bowl, see instagram for inspiration
18. try a new face or hair mask
19. deep clean a room in your home
20. write an email to someone you admire
21. write a letter to yourself about where you to be in a year and open it then
22. get a new plant for your home, they help filter the air!
23. give yourself a manicure or pedicure
24. try dry brushing
25. do a workout or yoga video on youtube

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go shopping for the perfect new perfume or essential oil for your personality

clean and organize your jewelry

Escaping the Comparison Trap - A Creative Point of View

I think it's easy for any of us to fall into the comparison trap. With the overload of images thrown at us on the daily through instagram how can we not help but think should I be doing something else? Something more like them? Something different than them? Should I just give up? Are they copying me? Does anywhere care about what I'm doing?

Well I'm writing this post in hopes of getting some of my own thoughts out, as well as hopefully helping you to realize the trap we fall into. The past couples months I have lost a little momentum with my business. I like to easily blame that on the fact that summer was over and I had to go back to school to teach two days a week at LCAD. Yet the fact is, that is just an excuse. Things I had time for before I realized were slowly disappearing. I was comparing myself too much to what I was seeing and it had practically frozen me. 

Now here I am trying to get back on track. I haven't blogged or sent a newsletter for months, although I have had plenty to say and share. I just thought, who really cares? I don't have 10k followers or even 2k at that. I just stopped really caring because I have felt maybe I wasn't doing enough? or I don't look like so and so... or I'm not comfortable talking on instagram stories and thats what you have to do to be successful. Well I've had a talk with myself now and realized that simply isn't true. 

You need to learn to how to select your thoughts just the same way you select what clothes you're gonna wear every day. This is a power you can cultivate. - Elizabeth Gilbert

We are all on our own path and there is no right or wrong way, all we can do is keep moving forward. So here I am moving forward and staying in my own lane. Below are some things I am focusing on that have helped improved my focus and I hope they will help you too!

1. Monitor your time and thoughts as you scroll through social media. I'm not limited myself completely from instagram but I am going to try to allot myself specific times when I can post and look at who I'm following on instagram. As I'm scrolling I'm going to remind myself I'm doing great things too but others may simply be sharing more and that I don't have to do what everyone else is doing. Remind myself I am unique and special and instagram doesn't always show that.

2. Read more. I feel like I completely forgot how inspiring and uplifting reading books can be. In particular business or self help books. That way instead of wasting my time checking my social media, I can actually grow as a business owner and person by reading helpful books. I believe the more knowledge I have the less overwhelmed I will feel.

From my recent visit to The Riviera in Palm Springs, California. Get out and explore to find more inspiration away from the screen.

3. Live in the moment, get outside more and see friends. I get so trapped in my studio thinking I have to work all the time to "keep up" with everyone else on social media I forget about real life. I'm going to make an effort now to make more plans with friends and also to make new friends. Pre-instagram this is how people actually connected. Just the fact thatI found I am deficient in Vitamin D when I live in one of the sunniest parts of the nation reminds me I need to go the beach more. I could even combine my two goals of reading more with getting outside more and maybe meeting a friend for lunch after. We need to be reminded that sometimes the real inspiration comes from life not a screen.

4. Work on more personal projects. I have been so caught up working on client projects I completely forgot about my own projects. I plan to commit time each day now to work on something just for fun. An example would be Mr.Bailey's dog teepee I have been meaning to finish. I have had all the materials for months, just need to put it together and hand-paint the pattern I have planned. 

Watercolor doodles and donuts for a personal project.

So tell me in the comments, what tip will you try? How do you stay focused? How can we uplift each other without comparing?