How to transform into a self-care family

How to transform into a self-care family

Whether it’s exercise, a home-cooked meal, or moisturising face-masks and Netflix, everyone has their own brand of self-care. But why is it important, and how can you make it a part of your family’s routine? This is how to transform a self-care family.

What is self-care?

Self-care is any positive behaviour or activity that benefits your health and wellbeing. For some, it’s a brisk walk with the dog; for others, it’s a hot bath and a cup of tea. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it leaves you feeling healthy, full of energy, and able to tackle whatever life throws at you. 

Why is self-care important?

Day-to-day stresses such as work, school and family life can leave you feeling low on energy. Self-care routines that take care of your body and refresh your mind give you the strength and resilience to cope with any challenges the day might bring. Knowing how to recharge your physical, emotional and mental energy is an important life skill for everyone to master.

Is self-care important for families?

Yes! Whether you’re juggling being available to ferry your child from school to soccer training around staying on top of your own work projects or trying to keep up with your teen’s social calendar, family life is full-on. Having self-care routines that work for you as an individual, and as a family, is a great way to keep everyone functioning at their best and can provide valuable bonding opportunities as well. 

Building self-care into your family’s weekly routine is a great way to keep everyone feeling positive and supported. Prevention is always better than a cure, so making these activities a habit before they’re needed to resolve a crisis is a positive step you can take to ensure the health of your whole family. 

As the person in the family who keeps everyone else on track, your own self-care is most important. It’s impossible to care for anyone else if you’re burnt out, stressed or running on empty, so your making time for yourself will benefit everyone. If you’re still unsure about how to fit self-care into your already busy life, you might hear some useful tips from these parents. 

Which self-care routines will work for my family?

Self-care routines are very personal and individual, so you can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Sit everyone down and go through some of these questions to work out what kinds of activities might work for you as individuals and as a family: 

• In an ideal world, where there’s no rush to get somewhere in the morning, which wake-up routine would you choose?
• When you have a spare hour to yourself, what’s the first thing you do?
• If given the choice between spending a day outdoors or on the couch, which would you choose? 
• Do you feel most energised after exercising, or after taking a nap? 
• How does your family mark special occasions? Do you go out, or cook a big meal at home, or do something else? 

Knowing what kinds of activities you and your family enjoy is key to finding some self-care techniques that will work for you. Whether you’re all outdoorsy types or like to snuggle up on the couch doesn’t matter – to get the full benefit, you have to like what you’re doing. 

How do we make self-care a priority?

When you’re flat out trying to meet all your family, work and social commitments, and the pile of laundry that needs doing is the size of your living room, it can be hard to make time to fit in self-care. The important thing to remember is that all of those mundane or stressful tasks will be all the more bearable, and maybe even fun if you’re feeling energised and positive. 

It’s important for young people to learn to take proper care of their bodies and minds as they prepare to enter adulthood. They look to their parents as role models, so the parents’ self-care behaviours become the framework for how young people treat themselves as they get older. Prioritising your health and wellbeing teaches your teens that there’s nothing selfish or indulgent about taking time out for yourself. It shows them that self-care is a key part of being an adult and part of a supportive and loving family unit. 

If you’re ready to get started on becoming a self-care family, why not take this quiz to find out your self-care style.

Featured photo by Jessica Rockowitz on Unsplash