Self-care is deeply personal. Begin by reflecting on what aspects of your life require more attention, such as mental health, physical fitness, and emotional well-being.

Find windows of time to do activities that make you feel recharged and at peace, such as exercising, meditating, or simply taking a few deep breaths.

Once you’ve identified your needs, set achievable goals. Small, realistic goals ensure you’re not overwhelmed and help build confidence as you meet them.

With goals in place, it’s time to plan. Draft a self-care routine that fits your schedule. If mornings are hectic, for example, an evening wind-down routine may be more feasible.

Incorporate your self-care routine into your daily life. That may mean setting reminders on your phone or journaling to track progress. Be flexible and adapt as needed.

Surround yourself with positivity. Connect with friends who encourage your self-care efforts, or join a community group focused on a shared activity.

Remember that self-care is not about perfection. There will be days when your routine may not be possible, and that’s all right.

Regularly review your self-care routine. What’s working? What isn’t? As your life changes, your self-care needs will too. Find more self-care tips at Verywell Mind.

When faced with negativity or uncertainty, our minds tend to go to the worst-case scenario. Directing our attention to the present can help slow negative thoughts and bring our focus to our goals.

By bringing your attention to your breath, you can slow down racing thoughts and feel calmer. When thoughts come up, gently redirect your focus to inhaling and exhaling.

Observe the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures around you. This sensory awareness brings you into the current moment and can help ease negative thoughts.

Instead of scrolling on social media or dwelling on negative thoughts, shift that focus to your body. Notice how your body feels right now. Watch this video for guidance.

You can find more meditations and practices for slowing down your mind and connecting with the present moment at justpresspause.com.

We’re more likely to be consistent with self-care practices if we “stack” them on top of habits that are already part of our daily routines.

For example, practice breathwork while waiting for your tea or coffee to brew, or integrate affirmations into your skin-care routine.

Adding new self-care practices onto existing habits might be challenging or frustrating. Get into the flow of several new habits for a few weeks before adding more.

New practices are often the first to be dropped. Consider shortening the time spent on them. It’s better to spend less time on a practice than to skip it entirely.

Get more tips on habit-stacking self-care practices from HuffPost.

A journaling practice can be a great way to reflect, organize your thoughts, set intentions, and track personal growth. Here are five tips to get started:

Consistency is key when starting any new habit. Choose a specific time of day that works best for you, whether it’s first thing in the morning or in the evening.

When beginning your practice, don’t feel pressured to write lengthy entries or cover deep topics right away. Just a few sentences each day can be enough to get into the habit.

Your journal is a safe space for your thoughts and feelings, so don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, or neatness. Allow your thoughts to flow, and write freely and without judgment.

Journaling isn’t limited to writing long paragraphs. Experiment with bullet points, lists, drawings, or even collage to find what works best for you.

Regularly review your journal entries to track your progress and gain insights into your thoughts and emotions over time. That self-awareness is invaluable for personal growth.