“You can’t pour from an empty cup.” This is so true; taking care of others is almost impossible to do unless you take care of yourself first. I make self-care a priority, because at the end of the day, if we don’t take care of ourselves, who will? With a new show coming up, I’ve been thinking about how to best balance work, acting, and taking care of myself. I’ve put together a list of my favorite activities to show myself a little extra TLC.

1). Morning coffee & The Golden Girls

I’ve watched The Golden Girls since I was a little kid, and I own all 7 seasons on DVD. For me, it’s a show that’s comforting, and provides me with a fun break from my everyday life. I start my day with them and my cup of coffee, and it puts me in a much better mood than if I were to just roll out of bed groggy at the last possible second.

2). Putting a little extra effort into my appearance

I have to admit, I feel so much better about myself if I start a busy day with a cute outfit, makeup, and curled hair. There’s something about putting in that extra effort toward my appearance that gives me an extra confidence boost. Plus, how can you not feel good when you look good?

3). At-home spa night

Once a week, I commit one night to breaking out my face mask, body scrub, foot cream, nail polish and fuzzy socks. I turn off my phone and allow myself a few hours to pamper myself. It’s an opportunity to recharge and relax, especially if it’s been a particularly stressful week.

4). Favorite TV shows

I don’t really watch a whole lot of TV, but anyone who knows me knows I watch 2 shows religiously; Days of Our Lives and General Hospital. The great thing about soap operas is they have the ability to take you out of your own life for a little while. (It’s an especially good episode of Days if Steve and Kayla are on, or of GH if Laura is on!)

5). Getting a decent amount of sleep

I really can’t function unless I have my 8 hours. I’m the weirdo who actually uses the bedtime alarm on my phone, to remind myself to start winding down. I make sure to keep my room cool, and have some kind of white noise in the background so odd noises don’t wake me up and keep me awake. (If I’m functioning on less than 8 hours, well, you don’t even want to know…)

6). Working out

I really became a workout-junkie my freshman year of college. At first, I felt like I had to do it to avoid the dreaded “freshman 15.” After awhile, I realized what an effective stress-reliever it was, and how much I loved turning on my favorite music and zoning out for a long run, or lifting weights. Over the years it’s become one of my favorite ways to decompress after a long day.

Make an effort to carve out some “you time;” I promise you’ll be glad you did!