Most, if not all of us, have spent our lives up until this point juggling and trying to balance many of our life roles. Working, parenting, being a spouse, caring for parents, finding time for our friends are only a few.

Although many of us continue to juggle and balance various roles as we are older, we may find that we now have the ability to take some time to do things for ourselves. To practice self care. And now, more than ever, this is so important.

There are so many “must dos” but I’ve compiled a list of my top 5 here. They are in no particular order other than number one which is most important.

Work on the “Thing” You’ve Always Wanted But Never Had Time to Do

This could be anything from starting a business, writing your book, or participating in a 5K. Maybe you always wanted to do pet care. Find your passion and take the steps you need to take to make it happen. Tell your loved ones. Set small attainable goals and work towards them. Take a course or join an accountability group.

Many of us aren’t quite sure what it is that we want to do as we move forward, but we know we want to find that “thing.” I’ve created a workbook with free journal prompts to help you as you reflect on this. It is important to keep our minds busy. And it is most important to have a reason to pop out of bed each morning, excited to start the day.

Keep Learning

Maybe there’s a course that you want to take to help move you towards the “thing” you’ve always wanted to do. Or, perhaps you want to learn a new hobby.

Whatever it is, keep soaking up all the information you can. We are never too old to stop learning. Many of my readers who have redefined after 50, have gone back to college to get additional certifications or just to take a few classes. And not one of them has regretted it.

Take Time to Practice Being Still

One of my readers identified this as one of her goals and it is brilliant. And SO hard to do. Try to set aside time each day, even if it’s only 5 minutes, to just be still. Put your phone in another room, sit outside, and listen to the sounds of nature.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee and sit with your dog quietly without thinking about all of the things you need to be doing. Meditate. However you decide to do it, schedule time each day to practice being still.

Journal

You might “free write” – just let the thoughts flow and take pen to paper. Or, you might have a specific format that you use to journal each day. Either way, taking time to journal daily can help prepare you for the day or help you process the day, depending on when you do it.

Get Outside

Research is continuously showing the benefits of being outdoors. Putting our feet in the grass and dirt. Getting our hands dirty gardening. Breathing in the fresh air. And, most importantly, getting that all important vitamin D from the sunshine.

Get outside every day and do something active if you’re able to.

Many of us continue to balance many of life’s roles after 50. We are no good to our loved ones if we don’t take the time to care for ourselves.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What are some of your everyday self care habits? What is the thing that you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet? Have you recorded your thoughts in a journal? Do you have a favorite outdoors activity?