I hear you laughing, but it’s not a joke! Self-care for couples is not only super important, but it’s also possible. Of course, it will be difficult to break out of your busy burnout cycle of work, chores, and sleep. No one said it’s going to be easy, but relationships are work that you must prioritize. You might even need to become somewhat of a daddy or mommy time-management master, but I promise carving out even an hour of the week to do something revitalizing with your spouse will do wonders for everyone’s well-being.

Make a Commitment to Communicate

For many couples, communication has really boiled down to making sure chores get done and important events get remembered. I totally get this — Larry and I are so busy, so we have to try extra hard to avoid this. Without a commitment to communicate more than just the bare necessities, you and your S.O. will become more like roommates or coworkers rather than lovers.

Ever since Larry and I decided to set aside time every day to go over our emotions, thoughts, and goals, we have become so much closer. We’re always on the same page — or if we’ve strayed, we get ourselves back on track. When we butt heads, we can honestly and respectfully work it out. I talked a lot about this in my previous blog, Move Together Or Move Apart.

I know. Communication isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “self-care,” but believe me, you won’t truly enjoy anything else with your S.O. if you haven’t worked this out first!

Plan Your Next Trip

Everyone wants to travel or go somewhere fun, but it’s much easier to have that dream sitting on the sidelines than to ever make the moves to plan it. Stop right now and tell your S.O., “let’s sit down later and figure out our next trip!”

Isn’t that exciting? Even the act of planning together is super fun because there are so many possibilities. Maybe that’s just the obsessive organizer in me… but I love putting together all the details. This might also be a great time to put together your strengths — maybe you’re a great organizer and they’re a great dreamer. With the two of your together, I bet you can come up with something super magical. Then, you actually get to go! That’s a self-care bonus.

Do The Little Things

It can be so hard to break out of the monotony of daily life, and I believe this is because we have it in our heads that something completely groundbreaking must happen if you’re going to get self-care and have fun. This is SO not true. Self-care is in the little things as much as it is in the big things. Honestly, many little self-care actions add up to be much more than one big one because you’ll make a habit out of self-care as a couple.

You know me. I love lists. So for me, it’s really helpful to make a giant list of all the little things that give us a few minutes of peace and happiness or fun. Maybe for you, it’s having your afternoon coffee together. Or maybe you enjoy getting an early morning or late night walk together. No matter what it is, it only has to take a few minutes to have a huge impact. Keep that list on the fridge so you can quickly pick a little activity to do together whenever you find a few moments!

Don’t Waste Another Minute Ignoring Self-Care for Couples

Take it from me. Minutes, hours, and days spent ignoring self-care turn into years, even your whole life. Don’t keep putting it off until tomorrow to take care of yourself and your significant other. Your kids will thank you, too — happy and healthy parents mean healthy and happy kids.

I really, really want to help you in any way I can. If you love this kind of advice, please get yourself on The LYSST so I can reach out to you regularly with ways to improve your life, both personal and professional. You can even go on a double date with us! Check out The Power Couple Show to tune in every week and listen to Larry and I go over what we’ve learned is making us a super powerful couple 🙂

Talk soon!

XX – Lyss