By Bri Norelle

A spa day complete with a fresh mani/pedi and massage would be welcomed right now. Slowly sipping a glass of wine in comfy PJs with the candles lit is a needed pause. Planning brunch with friends and soaking in face-to-face time is a worthy event.

But what happens when the routine acts of pampering we classify as self-care come to an unexpected, screeching halt? Undoubtedly, many of us ask this question as we contend with the reality that life, as we know it, has changed.

Any sense of normalcy we’ve grown accustomed to is a distant memory as we’re quarantined. The days are blurry and many routines we settled into before March are practically gone.

Despite ongoing feelings of uncertainty and urgency, it's important to remain grounded in the truth that in life, change is constant. This impacts us differently. And between wins, pauses and losses, it’s easy to not prioritize loving ourselves—especially in times when we are stretched beyond our comfort.

It takes 30 days to build a habit. Here are 30 thoughtful suggestions to consider as you continue to explore and expand through this beautiful journey of life. Use this time as a challenge to broaden your perspective of what it means to practice self-love and self-care.

1. Sit in silence. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning, many things compete for our attention. Silence promotes self-reflection, heightens awareness, and helps remove distractions.

2. Take your time completing day-to-day tasks. Rushing often creates anxiety and can hinder you from being attentive and intentional in the moment.

3. Develop a realistic plan for things you want to get accomplished. Having a plan takes a lot of the guesswork out of reaching intentions you set.

4. Start a task you’re avoiding. This releases the pressure of leaving the task untouched. Whether it’s folding laundry or resolving a disagreement with a loved one, there’s a sense of relief that happens once you’ve committed to it.

5. Plant something and connect to the stages of growth. Observing the stages a plant goes through in order to grow could resonate with your own growth process.

6. Finish a creative project you started. Finishing feels good.That mood board you abandoned a few months ago is waiting for you.

7. Free write—without judgement or editing your thoughts. Give yourself permission.

8. What’s an emotion you want to feel more? Create a themed playlist of songs that capture that feeling for you. And press play anytime you need to boost your mood!

9. Recognize and start to repair the damage caused by listening to your inner critic. The inner critic is that voice that replays your failures and causes you to second guess yourself. Identify it so you’re equipped to reroute negative feelings that are attached.

10. Acknowledge that your feelings are valid. Allow yourself to feel what you feel and journal to capture these feelings and examine later.

11. Review your budget and make the necessary changes. During uncertain times, this can be a difficult task that feels overwhelming. Despite the initial anxiety you may feel, knowing your spending patterns and making adjustments where you can is empowering. Think of budgeting as telling your money where to go! 

12. Clear your most limiting beliefs. Simply put, limiting beliefs are assumptions about yourself and how the world works that hold you back from reaching your full potential. They may have begun as a form of self-protection, but letting them go allows you to reach new heights.

13. Define and discover your core values. Knowing your core values helps you connect to your purpose, increases confidence, and helps you make decisions.

14. Practice assertiveness and use your voice. Being assertive with your voice is a way to practice honoring your feelings and demonstrating confidence.

15. Define what’s essential to you. When you’re clear about what’s both necessary and important to you, you’re able to be intentional about how you spend your time, resources, and energy.

16. Practice making small, sustainable changes that lead to bigger changes. Each small step leads to bigger steps and helps you build confidence and consistency.

17. Keep a journal of ideas.  Any time something sparks your interest and you have an idea, write it down. Your mind is full of gold. Create a space for these gems to exist. Revisit and develop them at a later time.

18. Deal with “I don't know.” If indecision is rooted in avoidance, acknowledge it and dig deeper to resolve. This improves self-accountability for your growth.

19. Celebrate all wins. No matter the accomplishment, pausing to celebrate is an instant confidence booster. Don’t brush your victories off, acknowledge them!

20. Acknowledge lessons as blessings. Mistakes happen and when they do, it’s important to learn the lessons that accompany the experience, apply them, and shift your perspective.

21. Invest in yourself—attend a virtual conference, webinar, or class that interests you. Finding opportunities to pour into your personal development and learn or sharpen a new skill or interest is invigorating.

22. Press pause. Don’t feel obligated to give an immediate response. Hold off on responding immediately to others and give yourself time to process what’s communicated and the feelings attached to it. This puts you in a mental space to respond thoughtfully.

23. Examine your boundaries and readjust where needed. A boundary that needs adjustments is like a leaning fence that needs to be repaired. If it’s not fixed, what’s inside is unprotected and things that shouldn’t have access get in easily.

24. Watch a show or listen to a podcast that inspires you. There’s so much uplifting content out there. You’re bound to find something that resonates with you.

25. Clear your phone of old texts, voicemails, and memories that you don't need to revisit. Hoarding memories often causes a spiral effect. Moving on is a form of wealth and having extra storage on your phone can’t hurt either.

26. Create a list of personalized affirmations. The thoughts you repeat become words, and your words ultimately become actions. Be intentional about the words you speak and actively change your thought patterns, and your life.

27. Write poetry. Tapping into your inner poet promotes greater self-awareness. It’s therapeutic and a wonderful way to express yourself. April is National Poetry Month, and we’ve created some prompts that are sure to spark your creativity.

28. Turn off technology. Watching news reels on repeat will have you reeling! Unplugging from technology and media puts a halt to racing thoughts, helps you separate your thoughts from those amplified in the media and promotes connection to yourself and others.

29. Enjoy your growth. It’s your life and your pace will be unique. Your growth will always serve its divine purpose.

30. Send yourself flowers. They’re beautiful and you deserve it.

Even if you don’t send yourself flowers, don’t forget to bloom beautifully.

Bri Norelle is a Creative Consultant, Connector and the creator/host of The Level Up Diaries Podcast. Keep up with her on the Gram and Twitter @brinorelle.