Pumpkin spiced lattes will soon give way to turkey feasts and gift shopping. The holidays are festive and fun but they are also a prominent source of stress and anxiety for many. Before this year’s winter wonderland and holiday season, let’s learn some self-care tips to help you show up as the best version of yourself.

When we are tired and drained, it shows in our work and relationships. Once you incorporate self-care into your routines, it has the power to reduce stress and anxiety and cultivate better relationships with yourself and others.

Nya Jones founded a self-care company, Inside Then Out, while on her own personal journey for self-discovery and improvement. This year, her journals and self-improvement products hit $1 million in sales. To encourage others who are similarly working on becoming the best version of themselves, Jones shares the following tips you can implement today.

1. Schedule it in

It’s important to make self-care a habit. When you schedule it into your daily routine, just like you would for work, it makes it much easier to practice in your day-to-day life. Take a step back to evaluate your schedule and determine when you need breaks or want to spend time with yourself. From there you can commit to incorporating some practices into those times that work best for you, like a morning yoga routine or nighttime journaling. 

2. Find what works for you 

A crucial part of self-care is that it is personal and unique to you. It can be easy to get caught up in how other people define self-care,and finding yourself trying to mimic someone else’s routine. However, we all have different needs and self-care doesn’t look the same for everyone.  In order to really stay consistent, it is important that you create a practice that works for you. What you do to care for yourself may also change over time. This requires checking in with your body and mind to figure out what you truly need. 

3. Start small

Many people think they need a two hour intensive self-care regimen (and some people may)! But if you are new to self-care, sometimes starting small, with one or two practices that make you feel refreshed, makes it all the easier to stay consistent. Self-care can be as long or as short as you need and you can always work your way up to create more time for self-care. 

4. Don’t get discouraged when you miss a day

Although adding self-care to your routine can be super helpful to ensure you are prioritizing it daily, it shouldn’t become just another task on your to-do list. A part of self-care is also giving yourself grace when you mess up. Beating yourself up for inconsistency is discouraging and only makes self-care feel like a chore. Remember you can always pick back up where you left off or adjust your routines when needed.  

5. Do things you enjoy

Self-care should be fun and enjoyable. Choosing activities that make you feel good will only make it easier to incorporate it into your daily routines. This doesn’t mean that everything you do to care for yourself will always feel good or exciting, but you should also find the things that are and create time for them. 

6. Don’t be afraid to use resources to help you along the way 

Understanding how to incorporate self-care into your routines may be a little daunting, especially if this is your first time really making it a priority in your life. The good news is you don’t have to do it alone. There are so many resources online and even products that can help you along your journey. For example, the Better Every Day Journal and Dig Deeper Journal are guided journals that help you prioritize self-care and wellness daily in as little as 10 minutes.

About the Expert:

Nya Jones is an entrepreneur and tech enthusiast with a passion for self-care, journaling, and personal growth. She went to Johns Hopkins University where she studied Public Health. As someone who has always struggled with opening up to others, she fell in love with journaling at a young age and used it as an outlet to release her thoughts and feelings onto paper. After graduating from university, she decided to create the journal that she wanted for herself, which inspired the brand Inside Then Out.

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Yvon Lux is the editor of her Apple News channel. Her “blogazine” celebrates sisterhood and empowers women by focusing on women’s health, travel, lifestyle, and entrepreneurial news while also sharing the most coveted trends and style stories.

As an entrepreneur and influencer, she has been featured in LA Times, Thrive Global, OC Register, Modern Luxury Magazine, and more. Connect with her on Instagram and subscribe to her Apple News channel!

Yvon’s upcoming Lifestyle Magazine covering organizations and individuals that are blazing trails and sharing inspiring tales.