Discover what a personalised Menu of Self-Care really is — and how it can help you build a collection of self-care that works for you.
My Story
When changes in my health meant that the remedies and routines that had worked beautifully for years suddenly… didn’t, I realised I needed a different way to approach my self-care.
What I didn’t realise at the time was that the idea of a Menu of Self-Care had already been with me for years.
During my time as a therapist, I often gave clients simple “homework” between appointments — small things to try, notice, and report back on.
But now I was the one needing to listen more closely.
So I began exploring again.
Not dramatic changes.
Just small, simple things I could actually manage.
Some helped.
Some didn’t.
But all of them taught me something.
Slowly, the things I discovered genuinely supported me became my Menu of Self-Care. And it changed the way I approached my wellbeing.
What is a Menu of Self-Care?
Most self-care advice focuses on what you should do:
- drink more water
- meditate
- move more
- journal
- stretch
- eat better
All potentially good advice.
But is it right for you?
Your Menu of Self-Care is different.
It’s a living collection of the things you’ve tried and discovered support you.
Some things might become essentials you return to again and again.
Others might be useful at particular times or during particular stages of your life.
And some things you try simply won’t earn a place on your Menu at all.
Your Menu develops as you learn what works for you.
Your Menu changes because you do
This is something I think we often miss about self-care.
We can find something that works really well and assume we’ve found the answer.
But our bodies change.
Our lives change.
And what we need changes too.
Something that supports you now might not be what you need in five years — or even next month.
That doesn’t necessarily mean anything has gone wrong.
Your Menu isn’t supposed to be finished.
It develops with you.
Each time you try something, notice what happens and decide whether to continue, adjust or let it go, you learn a little more about what supports you.
And you don’t have to start from scratch every time something changes.
You bring what you’ve already learned with you.
Your Menu Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect
You don’t need the perfect template.
Or the perfect plan.
Or the perfect routine.
All you need is a place to start noticing:
- what seems to help
- what doesn’t seem to help
- what you’re still unsure about
Over time, those small observations begin to build a much clearer picture.
Your Menu becomes something you can return to when you need it — a reminder of what you’ve already learned about yourself.
It isn’t another self-care to-do list.
It’s something you build from experience.
Self-care isn’t the destination
Ultimately, the point of creating your Menu isn’t to become endlessly occupied with self-care.
Self-care is there to support you so you can get on with living your life.
And when something changes and needs your attention again, you have somewhere to begin.
Not a perfect plan.
Not somebody else’s list of things you should be doing. But everything you’ve already learned about what supports you.
🌿 Ready to start building your own Menu?
You don’t need to create the whole thing at once.
It begins with something much simpler:
Try something. Notice what happens. Make sense of it. Decide what to do next.
That’s the approach at the heart of Make Self-Care Simple.
