Self care is not all bubble baths and pedicures. In fact, you won’t even find them on this list. Real self care is about taking care of yourself and sometimes that means doing things that you may not want to do. It’s pushing yourself to be better. It’s overcoming obstacles to become who you were meant to be. It’s not making excuses anymore, like there’s not enough time or energy or enough of you to go around. Self care is making yourself a priority and meeting your needs. And it’s setting boundaries in order to make that happen.
The hard truth is, you’ll probably upset some people along the way as you begin to take better care of YOU, but keeping reminding yourself that you’re on a path to finding out who you are and what you need. You are taking care of yourself. You will feel guilty.
No, self care isn’t all facials and flowers. Self care can be hard and uncomfortable. It’s making sleep a priority when you want to binge watch Netflix. It’s learning to set boundaries that may offend some people in your life. It’s letting go of people that no longer support you. It’s about showing up for yourself.
Take yourself seriously…. Take your life seriously! Chase your passion like you deserve to live it, because you do. Sometimes you have to say no to others in order to make time for YOU.
If you’re like me, you get joy from helping people, but if you don’t also make time for yourself, you’re letting yourself go in order to please others.
Self care is hardest, when you need it the most. Know there will be days when you feel overwhelmed, drained and defeated but you have to keep showing up for yourself.
Check out simple self care ideas for PMS.
Move your body, even if you don’t feel like it. Simple ways include taking the stairs, going for a hike, or doing yoga in your living room. Self care doesn’t have to cost money.
Feed your body well. Eat lots of high vibration foods that make your body feel good. Choose the salad instead of the potatoes.
Embrace change. Prioritizing yourself might be a big change for you and it may be difficult at first. Give it time and soon it’ll become a habit.
Everyone needs self care. Men, women, mother, daughter, we ALL need self care.
Prioritize sleep even when you want to stay up late to either work or watch tv.
Set SMART goals and making a plan. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Based. Your goals matter.
Discover your passion and don’t give up on it. Having trouble finding your passion? Try my Journaling Course to unlock ideas.
Accept that you do have time. Once you make the choice to take care of yourself, you commit to making the time for YOU. This may mean you’ll have to learn how to stop giving every last drop of yourself to everyone else. Don’t worry, they will survive and they will adjust, so allow them to do so.
Take care of your emotions. Notice how you feel. Here are some ideas for emotional self care.
Having trouble focusing on yourself? Try meditation! Sit by yourself. Sit up straight and relax every muscle in your body. Relax your eyes, release your jaw and lower your shoulders. Release the tension in your body and instead of overthinking, focus on your breathing. Breath in deeply through your nose and exhale completely out your mouth.
It’s not always easy. You might feel guilty or overwhelmed at first trying to find the time and energy to care for yourself. But, you can’t feel better until you take care of you!
Stay present. Life becomes better when you start to enjoy the day to day routine. Mindful living can help you love daily life. Instead of thinking about all that you have to do, focus only on the present task. This will allow you to be fully present for the people in your life and also for yourself. When you’re brushing your teeth, imagine brushing away all of the plaque and stains, revealing bright, healthy teeth and gums. While you wash your hair, use the pads of your fingertips to gently massage your scalp in a circular motion for a deep down clean and to release built up tension. Enjoy the process. You’ll do a better job!
Stick to a budget. This is when self care takes self discipline.
Eat mindfully. Diets are so last century. Listen to what your body wants and needs. It’s not what you eat, but how you feel while you eat it. Intuitive eating can help you love your body and food.
Take care of your mental health. There are so many ways to better your mental health, including yoga and journaling.
Say no when you need to.
Why You Need Self Care
Self-care means nourishing your health, including mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. While it should seem so obvious, most of us ignore self care because we are so busy with work, family and everyday life stress. There are many reasons why you should prioritise self-care and we’ve listed six of the most important below.
Improves Mood
Investing time in your own care can have a major impact on your mood, leading to greater optimism and positivity. It will help you to feel happier, more satisfied and better able to cope with the challenges that life throws you way. Even taking a small amount of time per week to nurture your physical, emotional and mental health can be hugely beneficial on your mood.
Better Relationships
Self-care helps you to be the best person you can be, which in turn as a positive impact on your relationships. Taking regular time to invest in your personal health allows you to be happier and more stable as an individual. This has a flow on effect as it allows you to be more patient and accommodating with others and therefore have better relationships.
Decreases Risk Of Burnout
We all lead busy lives and regular investment in self-care is necessary to avoid burnout. Find a form of self-care that works for you, whether that be taking a walk, spending time with family or getting a massage, and commit to engaging in it regularly. It will help to manage your stress and prevent burnout.
Makes You Become More Present
Spending time managing yourself allows you to become more present and engaged with your surroundings. You are likely to have a better understanding of what it takes to maintain your mental, physical and emotional health, thus resulting in you having a greater focus on your current mood and trigger that have the potential to impact your health.
Better Performance
Self-care is often seen as indulgent, when in actual fact it can have a much broader impact. Looking after yourself helps to maintain your health, which in turn allows you to perform better in all aspects of your life: work, family, sport.
Increases Quality Of Life
The overarching benefit of self-care is that it increases the quality of your life. By helping you to be healthier, have better relationships and be more present, self-care allows you to live a more fulfilling life.
No, self care isn’t always easy but it’s important if you want to feel your best.
