Self Care

Let me start by saving, self care isn’t an excuse to continually be unhealthy, a cheat day every once in a while is fine but you can’t use “self care” to justify poor habits. Also, spending excess money on yourself that you don’t have, debt has never done the body or stress well and self care isn’t selfish!

Again, self care isn’t selfish!!!!

Putting yourself first isn’t selfish!!

Putting your needs first isn’t selfish!!

Practicing self-care isn’t always easy, many of us are crazy busy, have stressful jobs, or are too consumed with technology to make time for ourselves. Me-time is usually last on the agenda. Worse, we can sometimes feel guilty about taking the time required to take care of ourselves.  If you don’t step aside and check in with yourself every now and again, you might wake up to find yourself standing in a very different place than where you intended.

Self care isn’t about perfection or tricking yourself. It’s an honest internal dialog, which is where the challenge lies, as most of us aren’t accustomed to being completely truthful answer to the question, “how are you?”

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to engage in self-care. You can also read about self-care strategies, join self care programs, or work with a coach or therapist who can help support your progress. No matter which approach you choose, the goal is to figure out which self-care strategies work best for you and fits into your routines. Here are some ideas ranging across different hobbies and interests to add to your self care routines.

Don’t check your social media as often as you do-

It can be relaxing to stay away from social media stress and drama.

Take a walk-

Spending time outside can help you reduce stress and be more mindful. Getting outside can also help you sleep better at night, especially if you do more physical activity.

Get more sleep-

Sleep can have a huge effect on how you feel both emotionally and physically. Not getting enough can even cause major health issues. But stress and other distractions can wreak havoc on our sleep.

Set yourself a reminder on your phone or Alexa saying; “you’re amazing!”-

Like getting a text from someone special that makes you smile.

Take a self-care trip-

Taking a self-care trip can make a huge difference in your life. Even if you’re not feeling particularly stressed, getting away for a weekend every now and then cone help you disconnect, relax and be rejuvenated.

Say no to events or gatherings that stretch you too thin-

Learning to say no is really hard; many of us feel obligated to yes when someone asks for our time or energy. However, if your already stressed, saying yes to friends or loved ones can lead to burn out.

Clean and Declutter your desk-

Getting organized is often the first step to becoming a healthier you, because it allows you to figure exactly what you need to do to take better care of yourself.

Take a bath-

Take a soothing bath, read a book maybe

Listen to an audiobook-

Audiobooks are amazing

Cook yourself a nice meal, eating = self care-

An unhealthy diet can lead to an unhappy person and vice-versa.

Wake up in the morning without an alarm set-

It’s the best feeling in the world!

Schedule self care time like you block out plans with friends-

It can be hard for use to find extra time. But it’s extremely important to plan regular self-care time. Moments alone can help you to ponder the best ways to move forward in your life.

Create an achievement folders-

Think about it, everything you are proud of yourself for, papers you’ve gotten good grades on and such, put into one folder that you can look at anytime you are feeling down.

Set yourself small/manageable goals-

Journal down little goals for yourself, even if they are as much as doing laundry.

Often times we put this pressure on ourselves to be great, that we forget to leave time to just be yourselves. Self-care doesn’t have to be lavish. For self care to be effective, it’s going to be different for everyone. While I like crawl into bed with a book, color my stress away or have music way to loud in my ears, other people may find other things to help them.

Instead, look at self-care as a way to help you be present in the moment and not many miles away in your head.

There’s no need to rush!

So go at your own pace. Do as much or as little as feels comfortable to you. But most importantly be consistent! Self-care is a habit and with a little stubbornness, it could become a one of a way of life.