After endless hours of working from home, creating content, working on projects, and maintaining the home, I grew exhausted at the end of last year. After a period of experiencing burnout and sleepless nights I decided it was high time to take a break and practice a bit of self-care. Pandemic life is not a breeze and for those of us living life after loss, it’s an added challenge. But in the end, I must make myself a priority. Can you relate?
A part of ensuring you take care of yourself in times of high stress is to pay attention to your body, mind, and soul. Now, I’m back from hiatus, refreshed, and ready to kick off this new year with a bang. So, today I’ll share 3 ways to improve your self-care right now. Are you ready?
What is self-care?
Self-care is defined by the World Health Organization as:
“[T]he ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider”.
3 Types of Self-Care
According to Everydayhealth.com, there are three aspects to self-care; emotional, physical, and spiritual. In other words, I like to refer to these aspects as the mind, body, and soul.
Self-care involves different things for different people. It really comprises of what brings you better health, feeds your soul, and brings you joy. Here are a few examples of what that looks like.
Categories of self-care:
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Emotional self-care:
- Positive affirmations self-talk
- Lunch date/phone call with a friend
- Listening to music
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Physical self-care:
- Making sleep a priority sleep
- Create a new exercise routine/schedule
- Eat healthy organic fresh foods, and cut out fast food
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Spiritual self-care:
- Attend a religious service
- Spending time in nature
- Practice prayer or meditation
- Keep a gratitude journal
Why is self-care important?
Self-care is an important part of living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Taking care of yourself both mentally and physically is vital to taking control of your health and well-being.
Because many of us lead busy lives, it can be easy to forget to put yourself first, especially if you have multiple responsibilities and other people to care for.
However, by prioritizing yourself, you will begin to feel better in all areas of your life – from work to relationships.
Self-care does not have to involve a huge time commitment and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You can start with as little as 10 minutes a day. It could involve painting your nails, relaxing with a crossword puzzle book, taking a short walk outside, or indulging in your favorite food.
Self-care is about making a commitment to putting yourself first, even just for a while.
If you are wondering how self-care benefits you, check out this pin below!
Pin Me!
Self-care ideas you can do at home
Self-care does not have to cost an arm and a leg either. Here are 9 easy self-care ideas to get you started.
- Get a good night’s sleep.
- Drink lots of water.
- Go for a walk.
- Take a relaxing bath.
- Listen to your favorite music.
- Watch your favorite film.
- Try and make a healthy and delicious dinner recipe.
- Make a list of five or more things you like about yourself.
- Spend time with loved ones.
Conclusion
Managing daily life can be challenging at times and downright overwhelming. However, having the self-awareness to recognize when you need a break to practice self-care is important to living a happy and healthy life. You cannot give your all to help others if your own cup is not full.
Did these tips to improve your self-care right now resonate with you? Can you use any of these tips in your own life?
Would you add any other suggestions? In what ways do you give back to yourself in times of stress? How do you decompress?
Share your thoughts in the comments below. Don’t forget to pin and share this post with a friend!
Sources:
https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/self-care-interventions/definitions/