Let’s face it. We all know that good self-care is important to our overall wellbeing and can have a significant impact on our relationships.
If we were being honest, most of us would admit that our self-care routine is lacking and could use some serious help. Have you heard about the Power Hour? (NOT the drinking game!)
What is the Power Hour?
The Power Hour is an approach to self-care that develops healthy habits, especially in the morning when you first wake up and launch your day. This, in turn, increases your productivity and happiness. This form of self-care sets the focus for your day before something else hijacks your plans and mind.
Okay, I’ll admit it. I am a self-proclaimed night person, not a morning person. I do not spring out of bed at the crack of dawn, ready to take on the world. Yes, sometimes I hit the snooze button … more than once.
I do believe, however, that filling your Four Cups of Self-Care is the right way to get a jumpstart on your day and start off right (no matter what time you get up).
What are the Four Cups of Self-Care?
You cannot pour from an empty cup. Likewise, you can’t do what you want to do in life unless your self-care covers all four areas of your needs: Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual. By thinking of these four areas as cups that you can replenish daily, you assure that you’ll always be refreshed, inspired, healthy, and alert.
If you’re like most women and love taking care of people, it’s especially important for you to take the time to care for yourself first. Your Power Hour helps you set aside mindful minutes to practice rituals and habits that you want to develop – to fill your own cups.
I believe in a customized approach.
You can use my activity suggestions (below), create your own, or change the times to suit yourself. Your Power Hour can be at morning, night, or split into two sessions. My Power Hour worksheets help you customize your routine, brainstorm ideas, track your progress and help get the most out of your time.
What Makes the Power Hour So Special?
It works. It really, really works. And it’s customizable.
There are multiple ways to use your Power Hour to fill those 4 Cups of Self-Care. Experiment and find your best fit. You can even switch up your routine quarterly to keep from getting bored.
How Do I Get Started?
There are only three simple steps to get started.
1) Plan. Plan your approach to cover your weekly self-care cups. I like the 2 x 30 minute approach, but others prefer the 3 x 20 minutes or 4 x 15 minutes approach to filling their self-care cups.
2) Time. Set aside the time, based on your needs, and minimize potential distractions.
3) Go. Set a timer and get started.
Ideas for Scheduling Your Power Hour Approach to Filling Your 4 Cups of Self-Care:
| Physical Cup | Emotional Cup | Mental Cup | Spiritual Cup |
| Make a doctor/dentist appointment | Practice forgiveness | Read | Meditate |
| Do yoga | Declutter a drawer | Have a word with friends | Pray |
| Lift weights | Watch an uplifting YouTube video | Do Sudoku | Journal |
| Make Mason jar salads | Practice affirmations | Review goals | Be creative |
| Walk the dog | Write in a gratitude journal | Listen to a podcast | Read a devotional |
Anything Else I Should Know?
Yes, perhaps the most important point of all: my little secret.
The Power Hour is typically seen as a morning routine, but shhhh, I often do mine at night … because, as I said earlier, I am a night person. 🙂 And to borrow from a famous slogan the most important thing is to Just Do It.
***
How do you refresh yourself when you need it, either physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually? How will you use these ideas to improve your self-care?
Happy self caring,
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I love this. I make lists every day and I am going to try this approach.
Thanks Alice. I would love to hear how it works for you. Feel free to keep me posted 🙂
I absolutely love this approach to self care! I hadn’t heard of it before, so thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Heather, it has really helped me to keep balance. I suggest it to all my clients 🙂
I am able to refresh myself by spending time in nature.
Nature does that for me as well. I love the sound of waves, but the smell of the mountains soothe me the most 🙂
Such good advice. I plan time for prayer and bible study every morning and a 30 minute walk. If the kids sleep in I love to slip in some writing. Good to fill me up for the day
What a great way to set the tone of your day! When the weather is bad it makes it harder to get in a a morning walk for me 🙁
I get up at 5:00 am when the rest of the house is quiet so that I can start my day with God and coffee. I use this time to fill my cup spiritually which also guides my emotional well-being. I enjoy digging deep into the Word so that takes care of my intellectual well-being as well. I’m trying to incorporate better planning on the food aspect to focus on the physical, too. These are great ideas! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Melissa. It sound like you have a great plan that is working well for you!
I love this. I usually wake up early (4:30) in the morning and work on my blog before going to work and while there is peace and quiet with kids and husband asleep. I know I need to incorporate a power hour and I am glad that I stopped by to get examples of how to implement filling up the four cups. Thanks for this!
Toni, I am glad that you “loved” the information. I am not naturally a morning person, but I too love the quiet times in the house when all are asleep. It is part of my power hour time! I am glad that you stopped by. I look forward to hearing how the Power Hour is working for you!
Interesting article! Is this your own concept–the Power Hour? Love it. I also appreciate how you break down the 4 different “cups” (categories) so we can visually see how to handle each cup. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Yen,
So often people talk about self care in a general way and don’t realize that self care is really divided into 4 areas. I call my approach The 4 Cups because as we know one can’t pour from an empty cup 🙂 The Power Hour is not a new idea, but the structure and ability to customize the Power Hour the way that I do it, is very different. Thanks for your comment and I hope that you find the Power Hour is a big success for you. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the different approaches.
I love this and will try to start doing it.
Hi Michelle,
I love how easy it is to customize the approach to fit one’s needs. it has made a big different in my life 🙂 Enjoy!
This is great. I have never heard of the powerhour before. But it makes sense. I am going to try it and I get the guide too. I love the forms that I can fill in and print out. Those are very helpful.
Hey Melinda J,
I am glad that you enjoyed the forms and found them useful. I had to experiment with the different approached to find the best fit for me. Good luck! 🙂