Last Saturday I went to Dallas to get my hair done. I had booked the appointment a month before thinking it may be a nice way to treat myself before spring. It felt a little silly driving an extra amount of time for a treatment, wash and style. I mean did I really need to take that time away from my family? It was overly indulgent and completely unnecessary. But it was every bit worth it. I needed it. I sat. I drank a cappuccino. I read a book. I texted some girlfriends. I gave myself permission to not really do much of anything and just enjoy.

I went home and didn’t think much of my morning. It was the loveliest way to start a weekend, and I did feel a little guilty for being away from Maxi but other than that I went about my day- until I saw a change in myself.

I’m going to be honest and own my flaws, I’m not the most calm person you’ll ever meet. I really try to be, but because I’m always “go, go, go” with a to-do list I can tend to veer more towards the flustered side of things. I’m in awe of girls that are completely chilled out in every scenario but I’m over here like, “Someone is at the door, dog is barking, baby is trying to climb the dining room table, I have a work conference call schedule in 3 minutes, I’m pretty sure my crock pot has burnt dinner, I’m getting a text asking if I’m on my way to pick something up and why is the window leaking?! Certainly my mom was never this flustered? What am I doing wrong?! SOS!“

But here’s the deal, whether we are a mom, a student, a doctor, a teacher, we aren’t doing anything wrong. We just do A LOT and we forget to account for that in the time we take for ourselves.

After spoiling myself with some me time I noticed I was a much better wife, mother and friend. Just in a few days I can list at least 12 {no seriously, 12!} instances in which I’ve responded better in situations that I typically would have. Who’d have thought an unnecessary hair appointment could zen me out?

Ultimately, I think the root was that I just needed a little bit of time to decompress. With technology dispensable to our every need, we can easily clump “me time” into a category of scrolling Pinterest or buying a top off a blog. While that definitely is considered a treat, it’s not allowing your mind to fully relax. So in March as I turn another year older, I’ve decided to fulfill a “me time” challenge. I listed out 31 ways I can incorporate self care in the month of March. I’m just going to go in order and align each idea with the day of the month, but I’d love for you to join me and follow along however you please. Most of these ideas are free, but the ones that cost money can definitely be catered to your budget! And yes, some require technology but I’ll be asking you to try something different.

March “Me Time” Challenge

1. Leave your phone on your nightstand or purse for one hour during the day. If this is easy for you, try doing two hours. Create a habit of being without your phone for a specified time during the day and hopefully it can trickle into other parts of the day as well.
2. Treat yourself to a special drink. Run to Starbucks before work or make a hot tea in the afternoon, just spice it up from the usual water or black coffee we are always inhaling.
3. Take 5 minutes and do nothing. Sit in your car, sit on the sofa, sit on your bed. Don’t scroll your social media feed and don’t think about what you need to do next. Just enjoy your home or your office and enjoy being with yourself.
4. Use or diffuse essential oils. Here’s a post on a few of my favorite essential oils and what I like to diffuse in our home.
5. List 5 things you love about yourself and be completely unapologetic about it. I recommend listing these out where you will frequently see them. Maybe write them on a post-it note and place it in your planner so when your day gets hectic you can remind yourself of all your incredible strengths.
6. Incorporate your skincare routine on your hands. This can get expensive, but I love to use my face serums on my hands or even a moisturizing mask. A reader actually told me to start doing this and said how I would see a huge difference. She was right! You’ll feel like you got a paraffin wax from a manicure.
7. Leave a few notes on your desk that inspire you. I’m always highlighting notes or encouraging phrases in books, but then I never open the book again to read them. Take a quote or bible verse you need to hear, write it on a note and tape it to your desk.
8. Organize your online space. Remove apps, clear folders, delete old photos, the works. While I firmly believe technology doesn’t allow you to relax, clearing the clutter will help alleviate extra stress while on your phone or computer.
9. Do something for your home. Maybe you have a Pinterest project you’re dying to try or want to pot some succulents. Take a little time today to do something for your home besides just the daily cleaning.
10. Treat yourself to a luxurious necessity you were going to purchase. Need an idea? I love this detergent!
11. Get in bed early for the evening. Read, drink tea and get cozy. This is my favorite blanket to cuddle up with!
12. Remove 5 things you don’t need from your closet or home and donate them.
13. Book something for yourself. Try a new workout class [many studios offer a free class for a first timer] or simply schedule a manicure. Put it on your calendar and look forward to that date with yourself.
14. Do a hair mask. I’ll be honest, my favorite is quite cheap and easy. I just soak my hair in coconut oil, let sit for an hour and shampoo!
15. Get outside. Even if you only have time to go check the mail and walk around the block- get your sunshine, girl!
16. Try sleeping with an eye mask. I’m obsessed with silk eye masks lately, they are also good for you if you have lash extensions! I have this one. Add one to your nightly routine as you try to turn your brain off in the evening. I find a sleep mask causes me to be less tempted to grab my phone and scroll if I can’t sleep. I’m too lazy to pull the mask up. 😉
17. Make dinner easy. Use one of these dinner hacks so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time relaxing.
18. Switch to one clean beauty item. I’m all about balance, but I also really enjoy finding more natural products that work just as well. I’d recommend this.
19. Take a bath with your favorite products.
20. Make time for a nap this week. It can be a 10-minute cat nap, just make time for rest.
21. Read a publication you love, but rarely get your hands on. Honestly, I LOVE to sit and read Goop. It’s not totally relatable to my life, but that’s why I love it. It’s a break from my day-to-day life.
22. Double up on your face masks today! Here are a few of my favorites.
23. Carve out time to indulge in your guilty pleasure. For me that is grabbing a Starbucks coffee and walking around Homegoods or TJ Maxx.
24. Head to the bookstore and pick out something new to read.
25. Wear your coziest chic item today! Mine is this Lilly Pulitzer Cashmere Wrap.
26. Go the entire day without complaining. While this isn’t necessarily “me time” centered, you’ll end your day happier which is what this is all about.
27. Clean your jewelry this evening! I hand clean mine, but has anyone ever tried this?
28. Take a few extra minutes to organize something you would never normally do. I don’t mean clean the kitchen cabinets- that’s going to cause more stress. 😉 Do something that isn’t *that* productive. Organize your Pinterest boards. Organize your handbag. Do something that’s going to make you feel more “you.”
29.  Today task yourself with making something mundane, new. Find your “me time” in a trip to the grocery store or picking up a gift for a friend. Head somewhere new to you, grab a coffee and try to not rush through the trip. Enjoy it.
30. Remove one thing from your schedule and add something you have been craving. In the book I read last month, it talked about writing all your commitments from work to lunches you have scheduled. Evaluate how those make you feel emotionally and physically. If something is making you filled with anxiety, or making your stomach churn or giving you a headache and it isn’t mandatory, remove it. I said, “No” to a work commitment [which I never do!] last month. I truly can’t think of a time I have cancelled an obligation, and although I had good reason, I felt sick over it. It took me a week of analyzing my words and prayer asking God what to say. And you know what? They were fine with it. In fact, they were genuinely beyond kind about it. Me removing one obligation actually opened the door for me to help out with the organization in a different way that I think is even more beneficial to my strengths. That’s a long ramble, but I know I struggle with removing things from my schedule and I just wanted to encourage how ridding yourself of something that brings stress in your life can actually open the door to joy, which is much kinder to yourself!
31. End the month treating yourself to something ridiculous. Who am I to tell you what it should be? Want to stop for macarons? Do it. Craving something from Target? Go ahead, girl. Make yourself a decadent dinner. Just end the month treating yourself!

Now of course you don’t have to follow these suggestions, they are just what I’m doing. Something else could be way more “me time” in your opinion. Whatever you do, feel free to post a photo on Instagram sharing how you incorporated me time in your day! Use the hashtag #MarchMeTime and tag me! I’d love to see how you are focusing on yourself this month. Some lucky girls may win a few surprises just for sharing and encouraging her friends to join in.

Heart Pillow: Nordstrom | Earrings: Baublebar [c/o] | Poncho: Lilly Pulitzer [c/o] | Denim: Shopbop

Photography by: Madison Katlin