A Self Care Plan for Real Life (No Guru Required)

Let’s be honest: we’ve all had those days. The ones where you wake up more tired than you went to bed, your hair has surrendered to humidity, and nothing fits quite right. Your kids ate everything you were planning to pack in their lunches – and didn’t think to mention it. The coffee’s weak, your to-do list is overwhelming, and suddenly you're spiraling before you’ve even left the house.

You’ve already replayed five things you forgot, second-guessed your entire schedule, and questioned your life choices before 8:00 a.m. And still, you’re expected to function? Perform? Lead? Text people back? Please.

Here’s the truth: you don’t need to book a yoga retreat or meditate with rose quartz taped to your forehead. You don’t need a 12-step detox or a Pinterest-perfect morning routine. What you need is a self care plan that works in the real world.

A self care plan that meets you where you are – in the car, in the chaos, and occasionally in sweatpants. A self care plan that doesn’t ask for perfection, but offers relief. One that helps you breathe again, shift your energy, and remember who you are – without needing to "fix" yourself first.

You deserve a reset that doesn’t require a personality transplant.

A real self care plan doesn’t require silence and incense – it requires self-honesty.

A self care plan shouldn’t feel like a chore – it should feel like an act of compassion.

Yes, we’re starting with water. I know – you’ve heard it a million times. But let me say it louder for the people in the emotional trenches: you can’t think clearly if your brain is thirsty.

Hydration isn’t revolutionary, but it is regulating. Your brain loves water. Your body runs better with it. So start by filling up a cup that makes hydration feel just a little bit more special. For me, it’s the Haters Gonna Hate Glass Cup. It keeps my drink cold, makes it feel like a treat, and somehow tricks my brain into taking better care of myself.

Making hydration a part of your self care plan is such a small act – but a powerful one. And if the idea of a self care plan feels overwhelming right now, shrink it. A single sip counts. That’s where it begins.

Tiny habits can lead to massive mindset shifts.

If your self care plan feels overwhelming, shrink it. A single sip counts.

Next, let’s talk about your clothes – yes, really.

We seriously underestimate how much our clothes influence our mood. You don’t have to be runway-ready. But when you’re spiraling, grab something – anything – with a high-vibe message that grounds you.

For me, it’s the Thriving Trucker Hat. It’s giving “I’ve got this” even if I don’t totally have this. I throw it on, blast some gangsta rap from my youth, and let it carry me back to myself.

This isn’t about fashion. It’s about identity. You’re not just getting dressed – you’re choosing how you want to show up. Even on the messy days, you deserve to feel like someone who’s still in the game. This is the emotional armor built right into your self care plan.

What you wear can change what you believe about yourself.

Building a mindset wardrobe – one that speaks to your strength – is more than just a fun idea. It’s a wearable part of your self care plan. Wear your strength. Wear your energy. Wear your comeback.

Wearing your confidence can be part of your self care plan – it’s emotional layering. Even on the days when motivation disappears, your self care plan can carry the weight.

You don’t have to clean your whole kitchen or light incense and align your chakras. But you do need one small act that interrupts the spiral.

Text a friend. Wipe down a counter. Take a walk around the block. Put on a playlist that makes you feel like the main character. Or – my personal favorite – light a candle that tells your brain, we’re switching gears now.

The Self-Care Candle is my go-to. It smells like peace, calm, and finally sitting down after a day that felt like a decade. I light it even if I only have five minutes to enjoy it.

Even that tiny ritual can anchor your self care plan in something that feels tangible. Something sensory. Something safe.

A deep breath is sometimes the bravest thing you can do.

We don’t always need to change our circumstances. Sometimes we just need our self care plan to give us a nudge toward a calmer state of being.

Sometimes your entire self care plan can start with a candle and a deep breath.

Every reset moment is a stitch in the fabric of your self care plan. Let your self care plan be the bridge between burnout and balance.

Take five minutes. Just you and your breath. No screens. No noise. No pressure. Just pause.

And if that sounds like too much? Lay on your bed and stare at the ceiling. That counts too.

You’re not being lazy. You’re being a human who’s been holding a lot. Most of what you worried about today probably didn’t even happen, right? And you made it through anyway. That deserves a moment.

Let silence be part of your self care plan. It doesn't have to be long or dramatic. It just needs to exist. One deep breath at a time.

Silence is the sound of your nervous system unclenching.

Even if your self care plan is five minutes of staring at the ceiling in silence – that’s enough. The beauty of a self care plan is that it’s both structure and softness – there when you need it, gone when you don’t.

The spiral isn’t failure. It’s just noise. And you? You know how to turn down the volume.

You know how to reset.

You know how to come back from hard days – because you’ve done it before.

And you’ll do it again. One cup. One hat. One breath at a time.

A strong self care plan doesn’t require perfection. It doesn’t expect you to be calm all the time. It’s there for the moments you’re not. For the days when your patience is gone, your energy is low, and your grace is thin.

This self care plan is yours.
Yours to follow.
Yours to adapt.
Yours to come back to.

So here’s your invitation:
Hydrate.
Put on something that speaks life over you.
Do one thing that creates calm.
And for the love of all that’s holy – pause.
Just for a second.
And feel how far you’ve come.

Because this self care plan isn’t about becoming someone else.
It’s about returning to you.

You don’t need to be fixed. You just need to be refilled.

I believe in you,
Shanna