I was in a groove.
Life was moving in the right direction. I felt good. My routines were clicking. The weight was dropping. My symptoms were quieting. It felt like I had finally figured things out.
And then… it stopped.
The weight slowly crept back. The symptoms returned. And before I knew it, I found myself lying on the bathroom floor, unsure if I could even get my kids to school or if I needed to call someone for help.
This latest flare-up felt like a bad case of the flu—sweats, chills, nausea, dizziness. It lasted anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours. It hit me out of nowhere and left me feeling depleted. And more than anything, it felt like my nervous system was waving a giant red flag saying, “You stopped listening again.”
Because I had.
I let my self-care routine slide. I stopped doing the things that were actually helping me feel better. And the scary part? I barely noticed it happening.
🧠 Do I Really Need to Schedule Self-Care?
The answer I’ve landed on is YES. Absolutely yes.
Because when I don’t schedule it, it doesn’t happen.
Self-care isn’t something that “fits in” around the edges of life. It has to be chosen on purpose. Protected. Prioritized.
And not the spa-day, treat-yourself kind of self-care (although I won’t say no to that). I’m talking about the real self-care—the basics that keep me functioning and whole.
List Block:
- Drinking water before coffee
- Breathwork to reset my nervous system
- Stretching instead of scrolling
- Saying no to what drains me
- Resting without guilt
I let those things slide. And now I’m reminded, once again, that the basics are not optional.
So I’m going back to them.
Not because I failed.
Not because I’m starting over.
But because this is what respecting myself looks like right now.
📅 My Daily Self-Care Schedule
To make it stick, I created a schedule—a simple, repeatable rhythm to come back to when life gets loud again.
👉 Download My Printable Self-Care Schedule
☀️ Morning
- ☐ Drink water before coffee
- ☐ 5–10 minutes of breathwork or stillness
- ☐ Gentle movement or stretching
- ☐ Eat a nourishing breakfast
- ☐ Set an intention for the day
🌤 Midday
- ☐ Step outside for 5–10 minutes
- ☐ Take a mindful break—breathe, journal, or walk
- ☐ Eat lunch slowly and intentionally
- ☐ Check in with how I’m feeling
🌙 Evening
- ☐ Light movement, yoga, or rest
- ☐ Disconnect from screens before bed
- ☐ Reflect in a journal or gratitude log
- ☐ Prepare for tomorrow with calm
- ☐ Wind-down time (stretch, read, prayer, etc.)
📝 Weekly Reset
- ☐ Review what’s working, what’s not
- ☐ Adjust schedule if needed
- ☐ Do something just for joy
- ☐ Declutter or deep clean a small space
- ☐ Reconnect with my “why”
💬 Final Thoughts
If you’ve let your self-care slide, too, this is your reminder:
You don’t need a grand comeback.
You just need to begin again—with one simple step.
Schedule it. Protect it. Honor it.
Because you matter.
And taking care of yourself isn’t selfish—it’s essential.
