Ruby’s Top 5 Self-Care Tasks for the Caregiver

Sometimes, self-care just isn’t at the top of our list, but for us to be the best possible versions of ourselves (and for us to be the best caregivers we can), we have to carve out some “me” time. Here you’ll find 5 tasks focused on making a little time for yourself. Try one or all of them this month and find something that works for you!

1. Take a Shower (or a Bath)

Occasionally, a little bit of warm water and some nice smelling soaps can get you out of your head! While you’re in there, try some mindfulness or guided meditation to relax your brain. Take some deep breaths and count them, steady your heartbeat, and let the water do its work.

2. Make Some Bread (or Other Baked Goods)

Doing something with your hands is often a very therapeutic form of self-care, but baking also gives you a reward! An easy Pinterest or Google search will reveal a ton of recipes, and you can decide what kind of bread or baked good you feel like eating. Let yourself concentrate on the task and be in that moment, and most importantly, remember to breathe. Bonus social option: Invite a friend to join you!

3. Put on an Audiobook or a Podcast and Clean a Room

Taking time for yourself often feels like it’s preventing you from accomplishing other things on your to do list. But you can do both! Put on an audiobook that you’ve wanted to read or listen to — or a podcast that you’ve been meaning to catch up on — and start cleaning a room you’ve wanted to work on for a while. This might be a less-than-conventional self-care task, but doing something with your hands while accomplishing something that’s been sitting in the back of your mind can be good: It’s mental *and* physical cleaning!

4. Take a Walk

Going outside will always improve your mood, and taking a walk or a hike means that you’re getting some exercise out the fresh air too! Tiring out your body will let your mind get a bit of a rest too, and sometimes, wearing out our body is just what we need. Take a walk around your neighborhood or find a hiking trail near you. Pick an easy trail with lots of people if this is your first time hiking (I suggest a quick Google search to see the most traveled trails at this time of year).

5. Make a Playlist or Compile a List of Albums

If you use streaming services for your music, make a new playlist and let yourself get absorbed in the task of selecting each song, maybe even based on how you feel right now. This is the most important part, to make your brain think of something completely different from your stresses. Alternatively, if you only have stacks of CDs or records in your house, you can either burn some songs from the CDs or make a pile of albums, in the order you want to listen to them.

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YOUR TURN: What simple self-care rituals refuel you? Which of these tasks will you try this month? Tell us in the comments below.

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