Create a Self-Care Routine Using a Digital Planner

Because caring for yourself isn’t a luxury — it’s the foundation of everything else.

I know that I won't be revealing anything new if I say that in the modern world, despite the huge availability of various services, it is often difficult, and sometimes simply impossible, to find time for yourself. Sometimes, even making a moisturizing face mask can feel like too much effort, let alone finding the time or energy to visit a spa. Sound familiar?

With so many demands on our time, taking care of ourselves often feels like just another task on the to-do list. But what if I told you that incorporating self-care into your routine can be as simple and enjoyable as planning your day with a digital planner? 

Why Self-Care Deserves Space on Your To-Do List

We plan meetings, projects, and family events — but rarely schedule time for rest, reflection, or joy. The truth is, self-care doesn’t happen by accident; it happens when you create space for it intentionally.

A digital planner can become that gentle reminder — a supportive tool that helps you organize with compassion. Instead of another productivity app that pushes you to do more, your planner becomes a place where you slow down, listen to yourself, and plan from a place of care, not pressure.

If you’ve ever wished your days felt more balanced or your routines more nurturing, this guide will show you how to use your digital planner to design a self-care routine that fits you — not the other way around.

Step 1: Set Intentions for Self-Care

Redefine What Self-Care Means to You

When I first started using my digital planner for self-care, I began by setting intentions. I asked myself: What does self-care mean to me? Is it about finding moments of peace throughout my day, improving my physical health, or reconnecting with hobbies that I love? Setting intentions gives self-care a purpose and makes it feel less like a chore and more like an act of kindness toward yourself.

Before creating routines, take a mindful pause. Ask yourself:

• What truly restores my energy?

• What do I need more (or less) of in this season?

• How do I want to feel at the end of the day?

This step is about redefining self-care beyond face masks and bubble baths. It’s about creating alignment — moments that refill your emotional and mental well. In your digital planner, dedicate a section called “My Self-Care Vision” or “How I Want to Feel.”

Here, you can journal freely or add prompts like:

• “I feel most grounded when…”

• “My energy is protected when I…”

• “I know I’m caring for myself when…”

Tip: If you need a spark to get started, explore my post Love Yourself First: 14 Self-Care Practices to Help You Fall in Love with Yourself — it’s full of gentle, heart-opening ideas to inspire your self-care journey.

Step 2: Design Your Digital Self-Care Planner Space

Now that you know what matters, it’s time to translate that intention into a system that supports you.

Your digital planner (whether you use Goodnotes, Notability, or Xodo) can include dedicated pages for:

• Mental self-care — journaling, digital detox, reading

• Physical self-care — movement, hydration, sleep tracking

• Emotional self-care — gratitude lists, reflections, affirmations

• Spiritual or social care — connecting with nature, loved ones, or stillness

Explore what's inside our Wellness Planner

Create gentle color codes or icons to make it visually calming. Add hyperlinks for quick navigation between sections, and remember — your planner should feel like a sanctuary, not a spreadsheet.

Find Your Balance with the Mental Health, Mindfulness and Balance Planner

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Step 3: Create Gentle Daily & Weekly Routines

Consistency is where self-care quietly transforms your life. But it doesn’t mean rigid schedules — it means rhythms that feel kind.

Try adding small self-care rituals into your planner’s daily view:

• Morning: 5-minute stretch + a line of gratitude

• Midday: Screen-free lunch or short walk

• Evening: Reflection journal or gentle planning for tomorrow

You can also stack these new habits onto existing ones — for example, journaling right after your morning tea. This concept, known as habit stacking, helps create routines that last because they feel natural.

Explore more in 28 Ideas for Habit Stacking Challenge: Build Powerful Routines by Linking Habits

Add to your planner: A “Weekly Self-Care Review” page where you check in with prompts like “What nourished me?” and “What felt heavy?”

A digital planner makes it easy to schedule self-care activities into your week. I love using my planner to map out small, manageable self-care tasks that fit into my daily routine. For example, I’ll block out 15 minutes for morning meditation or schedule an hour on Sundays for a long walk in nature.  By assigning specific times to these activities, I’m more likely to follow through. Digital planners are flexible, allowing you to adjust your schedule if something unexpected comes up.

Step 4: Track Your Habits and Progress

One of my favorite features in digital planning is the habit tracker. I use it to track habits that contribute to my well-being, such as drinking enough water, getting 7-8 hours of sleep, or practicing gratitude. Seeing my progress visually in my planner motivates me to stay consistent. 

If you’re creating a self-care routine, I recommend setting up a habit tracker for any new self-care practices you want to implement. It’s rewarding to see your efforts accumulate over time, and it helps you stay accountable.

I created a calming habit tracker to help you nurture routines that support your balance and well-being every day. It is free. Download now Your Mindful Habit tracker.

Free Mindful Habit Tracker

Step 5: Prioritise “Me Time”

In the hustle of daily life, we often forget to carve out time just for ourselves. That’s why I love having a dedicated “me time” section in my digital planner. It’s where I plan solo activities that recharge me, like drawing, pampering myself with a home spa session, or trying out new hobbies. 

Scheduling “me time” and treating it as an important appointment reminds you that self-care is essential. And the best part? You can adjust your activities based on what you’re feeling each week. Sometimes, I’ll plan a quiet evening in, while other times, I’ll set up an outing to my favorite café.

If you don't make self-care your top priority, you'll always have reasons why not now. It's that simple.

Step 6: Reflect & Rebalance Regularly

Reflection is where gentle productivity and self-care meet. Every week or month, take 10–15 minutes to review your planner pages and notice patterns:

• Which activities lifted your mood?

• Which drained your energy?

• What small moments made you feel proud or peaceful?

You can use a mood tracker, gratitude log, or journal prompts inside your planner to deepen this awareness. Reflection pages are also perfect for recognising progress that isn’t visible in numbers — calmer mornings, kinder self-talk, fewer rushed days.

A self-care routine is not just about activities; it’s also about understanding how these practices impact your well-being. In my digital planner, I use reflection pages to note down my thoughts and feelings at the end of the week. It helps me see what’s working, what needs adjusting, and how I’m progressing emotionally and mentally. It also helps me track when I fully lived in the moment versus when time passed by quickly, leaving me without the chance to enjoy the present.

These reflection pages can be as simple or detailed as you like. You might use them to journal about your mood, record moments of gratitude, or document any changes you’ve noticed since incorporating self-care activities. Reflecting regularly allows you to stay in tune with yourself and adjust your self-care routine to better fit your needs.

Explore a fresh take with unconventional strategies to integrate rest into your busy life without sacrificing your goals in this blog post "How to Prioritize Rest and Relaxation in a Busy Life: Unconventional Ideas for True Rejuvenation"

Step 7: Adapt Your Self-Care Seasonally

Self-care isn’t static. It changes as the seasons — and you — do.

In autumn, you might crave grounding rituals and journaling. In winter, rest and reflection. Spring brings renewal and fresh routines; summer invites movement and creativity. Your digital planner allows you to flow with these shifts instead of resisting them.

Create seasonal dashboards in your planner for:

• Quarterly goals for well-being

• New self-care habits to try

• Mindful decluttering checklists

This helps you design a life that honours both structure and softness — a rhythm that evolves naturally.

If you love this idea, explore my Seasonal & Yearly Planning category for more resources on designing your year in alignment with your energy and seasons of life.

Seasonal and monthly self-care planning is a fantastic way to keep your routine fresh and exciting. I like to plan specific self-care activities that align with the time of year. For instance, in the winter, I might focus on cozy indoor activities like reading or creating, while in the summer, I’ll plan outdoor adventures and beach days.

I've developed a habit of planning self-care activities and routines. I created a calendar called "Pleasures and Care for My Beloved Self," where I list everything I want to do for myself each month—things that bring me joy, like stargazing, singing, and solving crosswords—simple things I often overlook in my daily routine. This calendar of pleasures has truly enriched my life, helping me focus on what matters most and what brings me happiness.

Digital planners are perfect for this kind of planning since you can create themed templates for each season or month. You can even add images or vision boards for a visual representation of your ideal self-care practices during that period.

Make Self-Care Routine a Priority with Digital Planners

Creating a self-care routine with your digital planner isn’t about adding more tasks — it’s about re-designing your life around what nourishes you.

Each time you open your planner, you’re not just organizing your days — you’re checking in with your well-being, honoring your limits, and choosing peace.

So take this as your reminder:

You don’t need to do everything.

You just need to do what brings you back to yourself.

Next Steps:

• Download the Free Wellness Toolkit — your gentle guide to creating balance and well-being.

• Explore our Life Planners Collection to find your perfect digital companion for mindful living.

• Subscribe to the newsletter for monthly reflections and planning inspiration.

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If you’re inspired to build a self-care routine that fits effortlessly into your life, if you want to dive deeper into self-care journey and move towards a balanced and joyful life, I encourage you to explore a Wellness Digital Planner as it helps you create a self-care strategy but also outlines monthly steps and provides space to plan the activities that bring you joy.

Digital Wellness Planner | Mental Health & Self-Care Journal | Sunday Start

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Remember, self-care isn’t selfish; it’s a vital part of living a happy and healthy life. With a digital planner, you’ll have all the tools you need to make self-care a consistent and enjoyable part of your everyday routine.