When I started this blog, I had this post in mind. I told myself that I would find a way to organize my daily intentions so that I made sure I was focusing on what I needed most. So, I sat down and thought about some areas that I could group my intentions into. After focusing on these areas for months, I want to share with you how it has worked for me & why.
Every morning for months, I started my day by writing down my intentions. Some days I woke up with my intentions in mind, and other days I had to refer to the areas I had predetermined & think about them.
I’m a person who loves creating lists, no matter how big or small. This being said, I wanted to find a way to visualize my intentions by consistently writing them down.
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I like to think of intentions as gentle goals. Initially, I wanted to use the term “daily goals,” but, in my mind, there is an underlying pressure associated with that term. Goal-setting is something I’m very passionate about, but I wanted to keep those long-term, short-term, specific goals separate from these daily intentions.
These intentions are a subtle push towards something, and I want them to be specific to each day & how I am feeling. There is no pressure to achieve them; they are simply intentions, that’s it.
The overall big picture goal here is to grow each day and fit in some self-care so that you feel like your needs are being met! Not sure where to start? These following 8 Areas have helped me focus on my self-care intentions and assisted with the process of checking-in with myself each day.
1. water
Water is a great place to start while setting daily self-care intentions as it’s one of our basic needs and connects all of us! Ultimately, you should listen to yourself and your body to determine how much water you need, but here are some suggestions to give you an idea:
- Replace every caffeine or sugar containing drinks with 1.5x the amount of water (so for every cup of coffee, drink 1.5 cups of water to replenish hydration).
- At least 8 8 oz. glasses per day, or half your body weight in ounces
- Keep water nearby and sip on it throughout the day
2. Nutrition
Another basic need that you can focus on is nutrition. I know that I personally can feel the difference when I eat healthy compared to when I don’t. There are so many wonderful recipes and recommendations for this area that can help you focus on your daily nutrition, but one thing that has helped me is the acronym G-BOMBS created by Dr. Fuhrman. This includes some of the healthiest, immune-boosting, disease-fighting foods that can be included in your regular diet. It includes:
- Greens
- Beans
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Berries
- Seeds
I personally love making a salad with all of these things each day – it’s an easy way to mix them all together!
3. Sleep
Sleep can be a great area to focus on while setting daily intentions. Not sure where to start? Here are some tips that may help you sleep better:
- Have a consistent schedule
- Get fresh air each day
- Skip the afternoon coffee
- Take a relaxing bath or shower
- Journal
- Meditate
- Use a noise machine
- Put your phone down 1 hour before bed
4. Physical activity
Physical activity is one of those areas that can look different for each person. Ultimately, just like each of these areas, it’s important that you check-in with yourself to see what you need and how your body is feeling before you begin. Another way to think of it is listen to your body! I like to switch my activity up depending on how much time I’m working with or how I’m feeling. These are some things that have been on my list over the years:
- Take a walk/run outside
- Go to the gym/workout on equipment
- Stretch
- Yoga
- 7 Minute workout app
- Dance!
5. Solitude
It has been shown that spending time alone is beneficial. I personally love time alone because I am naturally more of an introvert. You can think of solitude as setting time aside to give something to yourself, whatever your interests are/what you need. Plan out something that you’ll enjoy doing. And, while you’re at it, take a break from your phone! Here are some ideas to give you some inspiration:
- Journal
- Read
- Spend time outdoors
- Listen to music
- Learn a new skill
- Meditate
6. skincare
Following a solid skincare routine and regimen can make you feel like a million bucks! This is one of my favorite areas for self-care as applying a simple mask for a few minutes once per week puts me in that spa-mindset automatically makes me feel relaxed. When completing a skincare routine, it’s important to think about including the following steps:
- Cleanse
- Prep
- Treat
- Protect
On days that I wear makeup, I like to double cleanse my face, first with a cleaning balm and then with foaming cleanser. The prep step includes the use of a toner to further cleanse and prepare your face for the products that you are going to apply. When in the treat step, this is when you apply your serum (or an overnight resurfacing peel every couple of nights). Finally, the protect step includes your moisturizer to protect your skin throughout the day and night. If you are looking to make the switch to safer, cleaner products, take my skincare quiz and check out these following posts!
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7. Connections
This area and the next are the most general ones on the list, in my opinion, as they can touch on so many different things! When I think of connections, I think of connecting with, but not limited to, the following: people, nature, a community, art, a particular subject by learning something new, etc. When I think about making these connections, I like to think about someone/something that is important to me. I also like to think about how this connection will benefit the people/things that I am connecting with so it is a mutually beneficial act.
8. Interests
At this point, you may be thinking about how some of, or all of, these areas can start to overlap and intertwine. When I think of interests, it reminds me of connections, but can be more focused on your personal enthusiasm for something in particular. Since I am naturally more introverted, something that sounds appealing to me would be mixing solitude with an interest and focusing on diving deeper into something that I love while spending some time alone (for example, getting lost in a good book). But, you may choose to focus on interests and connections, for instance, and spend time doing something that you love with others. An example to touch on all of these: join a book club!
I hope that you enjoyed these 8 areas that you can focus on while setting daily intentions. This list has helped me keep my intentions organized when I check in with myself each day. Are there times that I do not follow through with my intentions? Absolutely! But, I always remind myself that intentions are gentle goals and really make an effort to embrace what each day brings.
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Thank you for reading!
