$70 of book fines??? What in the world? 

I had just opened my mail and, to my surprise, I’d received an invoice for a $70 fine for a book I hadn’t returned to my local library. 

How in the world did I miss this? 

But that wasn’t the worst if it.

Earlier that week, I realized that I had mailed our Christmas tree to our old address. 

And right after realizing that, I received a notification that I’d missed a week of payment for my daughter’s daycare. 

Then one night after cooking, I went to bed, leaving the oven on. 🙄

All these things were easily fixed.

It was inconvenient but doable.

However, this was a major sign.

With all these things slipping through the cracks, I knew that I was stressed.

I was running on empty and it was time to refill my cup.

My Roadblocks To Self-Care

Up until this point, being a career woman, dedicated blogger, new mom, and loving wife didn’t leave much room for investing in myself.

At least that’s how I saw it.

Plus the Christmas season with all its hustle and bustle, paired with an increased calendar of social events, was limiting my bandwidth even more.

I just couldn’t keep up.

The only way I would be able to get back on track was to invest in myself…my true self. 

I needed to do something for me!

Not my friends or my husband or my daughter…or anyone else.

I needed to do some practical self care.

Self-Care Redefined

To accomplish this, a concept that my dad consistently preached to me came to mind.

He always urged me to do 5 things every day that made me happy.

Do 5 things every day that make you happy

They didn’t have to be big things but little things that specifically made me smile.

Some days that could be eating a pop tart or having a cup of coffee.

Maybe it would be doing a little bit of a puzzle.

Or maybe it would be just going to bed earlier to refresh my body and mind.

It was a different way of approaching self-care!  One that I needed to put into action ASAP.

I needed to see if this advice truly worked.

Time to put it to the test.

My 5 Things To Invest In My True Self

It seemed absolutely impossible to accomplish 5 things in a day that ONLY pertained to MY happiness.

But when I tried it, it worked.

And I can honestly say that for the first time in a long time, I felt like myself.

The smile on my face was a true indicator of the joy I was experiencing on the inside.

Here are the 5 things I did to invest in my true self:

1. On my way home from work, I sang aloud to my favorite trap music in the car.
2. I drank a glass of water with my lunch instead of a soda or glass of sweet tea. A girl’s got to stay hydrated, right?
3. I took my favorite coat to be dry-cleaned! I’ve always wanted to do that, and doing it for the first time made me feel special.
4. I purchased a scented candle and lit it as soon as I got home to help me relax. I wasn’t a huge fan of candles before but my husband’s use of them has slowly won me over lol. And by the way, my favorite scent right now is Luminous Topaz by DW Home.
5. From my paycheck, I saved 10% in a savings account for unexpected expenses like car maintenance. Because let’s be real, I get mad every time something financial comes up that I didn’t plan for! So knowing that I have an account that already takes care of it helps my future peace.

And to help show these 5 investments visually, check out the infographic created from True & Co. who know a thing or two about the importance of self-care. 

Another tip, you don’t have to limit how you invest in yourself every day to just 5 things. If you can do more, that’s even better!

 Since I’ve started to practice this principle, some days I do additional investments like buying a bra made to fit me, or purchasing new shoes when my old ones start to fall apart. 

Like my dad said, self-care doesn’t need to be some grand thing.

It is extremely simple.

Self-care incorporates the little things.

And to truly enjoy life, we must enjoy the little things because when we look back, we always realize that the little things were the big things.

How To Invest In Yourself Every Day

So my challenge to you as a woman…

In a day and age where we have so much in our plates and we’re trying to please everyone we know in person (and online) is this:

Take time to invest in your true self.

Start with 5 things a day.

[bctt tweet=”Take time to invest in your true self. Start with 5 things a day.” username=”baydiangirl”]

And I guarantee that you will embrace your everyday life!

Inspired by this concept?

Share the 5 ways you will invest in your true self in the comments!