HomeSelf-Care Tips: 10 Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself
Self-Care Tips: 10 Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself
Work, studies, family, household, social obligations, etc., these are all the things that keep us busy in our every day life. We are either very busy or too consumed with the technology, so we often forget to relax and recharge. With our daily life keeping us occupied, and work being our priority, self-care is usually at the end of our list, or not even there at all!
Even though life can get pretty stressful, it is important to give ourselves a break and practice some self-care. Right now, while social distancing because of the coronavirus, we might be a little less busy, but it does not make the situation much better. For some of us, it might even be more difficult, because we are shut inside our homes, away from friends and family, and this can trigger a mental health problem among a lot of people, the more reason why we need to try to take good care of ourselves, in order to maintain a healthy mind and body. A healthy mind and body helps us to concentrate better, gives us more energy to do every day activities and most of all, it makes us feel good.
Self-care is not all about putting a face mask on and having a bubble bath! It goes a lot deeper than that. Self-care is about putting yourself first, listening to your body and mind, and doing the things that help you de-stress and make you happy. In this blog article, we have compiled 10 small things you can do to take better care of yourself.
Get enough sleep
Not getting enough sleep can cause major health issues, which is why it is important to get a good night’s sleep. However, sometimes it is easier said than done. Stress and other distractions can affect our sleep. So, think about ways to avoid that. Think about your evening routine. Are you eating your dinner late or drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks before bed? Try to have dinner at least 2 hours before bedtime, replace the coffee with a non-caffeinated herbal tea.
Next, reducing stress is key to sleeping soundly. Is there a work-related stress? Think about ways to relax after a long day at work, maybe watching a show you like. If the workload is too high and stressful, talk to your employer about it. And finally, make sure that your bedroom is free of distractions (such as television, laptop etc.), keep the temperature in the bedroom lower than other rooms in the house, and use darkening curtains that keep the light from waking you up too early in the morning, or use an eye-mask for blocking the light. Despite our hectic schedules, we need to maintain regular sleep routine to feel refreshed!
Exercise regularly
Exercise regularly as a part of your self-care routine. Daily exercise can help you get physically fit, boost your mood and reduce stress and anxiety. While it may not be possible to go to the gym or do intense exercises every day (and not necessary), try to get moving at least 30 minutes every day. Go for a walk or running, do a bike ride, do yoga or go for a swim, whatever works for you and fits into your schedule, it all counts! Most importantly, create a routine and stick to it.
Cook at home
In our busy lives, we often don’t take time to cook for ourselves, instead preferring to order fast food or getting some pre-made meal that can be popped in the microwave and is ready in minutes. While this may be easier, fast foods don’t have sufficient nutrients that our body needs. They are usually fatty, have high amounts of sugar and salt and can have negative impact on our health. If it is not possible to cook every day of the week, start by cooking a meal for yourself (and your family) a few days a week. Eating the right foods keeps us healthy and energized and has positive effect on our brain too! Swap sugary snacks with healthy alternatives like a handful of almonds. Some amazing self-care foods include nuts, green vegetables, blueberries, fish etc.
Take time to disconnect
Disconnecting from time to time has its benefits. We let ourselves get easily influenced by things we see on social media, for instance, seeing a person flaunting their success has a tendency to make us feel insecure. The thing is, no one is posting about their failures online. We can also get overwhelmed by the news. Taking a break from social media, even for a short period, has its benefits. It helps to lessen anxieties and helps you eliminate the insecurities and stress that comes from the internet. Besides social media, also try to separate your work and me-time, disconnect from office emails in the evening and weekends!
Don’t hesitate to say “No”
While you might have a life mantra that says “be selfless” and it is a great one, however, self-care requires you to be selfish, and say “no” more often than you think. Stress is caused most of the time by having too much to do, but having not enough time to do it. We, as humans, have a habit of saying “Yes, I can”, taking too much responsibility on our shoulders and stressing ourselves. So, in order to de-stress, we should reduce our workload, prioritize and manage time more effectively. This requires you to say “no” sometimes, and that’s perfectly okay!
De-clutter and organize
Spend a few minutes a day de-cluttering. Clutter increases our stress hormones, reduces focus and creativity. In fact, you will feel more relaxed in a de-cluttered space. Create a space where you can put your keys, purse, briefcase and coat ready to go for the next day when you leave for work. And not just your desk and closet spaces, but also think about organizing your daily activities, plans and appointments. Keep a planner, or hang a calendar where you can write down your to-do’s. This will help you to get your life a bit more organized and a lot less stressful.
Add meditation to your routine
Start by meditating for five minutes. Meditation calms our mind by eliminating the effect of stress. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, inhale and exhale and release any tension from your body. The key to properly meditating is to be aware of your breathing, and try not to wander off into other thoughts. If your thoughts wander, don’t worry, just try to re-focus on your breathing!
Go outside
Take time to leave the house and get connected to nature, if possible. Stepping outside for a breath of fresh air, even only for a little bit, provides you with many health benefits, both physical and mental. Taking a short walk to the park or forest reduces your stress levels, helps you sleep better at night, maintains heart rate, boosts mental health and improves your immune system. No matter how busy you are, try to make it a habit to go outside.
Get a hobby
Doing activities that you like has amazing benefits on your health. Maybe you already have a hobby or need to pick a new one, engaging in a hobby can reduce stress, it can be journaling or reading a book or painting, you might even discover your hidden talent! Take some time every week to do what you enjoy, but don’t obsess over it. For instance, don’t worry if you did not finish one book every week, rather try to keep it consistent for a long time than giving up after a few weeks, or days.
Make “self-care” a part of your life
And finally, make “self-care” itself a part of your routine, try to find that extra time to plan a regular self-care time, it is extremely important. Look for small ways to incorporate it into your life, whether it is taking a long walk in the nature, taking a nice hot bath or watching that movie you had been looking forward to. Schedule a self-care time, do what works for you, but keep it consistent and make it a part of your life. Do not try all these things one week, and give up the next week. Being mindful and keeping consistency is the key!
We hope that these tips will help you take better care of yourself, and that you will start prioritizing your self-care, physical health and mental health above anything else.
Besides these tips, we received a sound advice from our MAGIC Lady, Nikki! Read her self-care tip below (with a bonus recipe):
“Live healthy, eat healthy foods, get enough sleep, exercise regularly. These are the things I've been doing these past few weeks, of course with some Netflix binge worthy days and a lot of snacking. But those days are also okay, we shouldn't be too harsh on ourselves right now. And I'm pretty sure everybody's pants are a little tighter right now ( are we even wearing pants anymore?) But it is still super important to take care of your body AND mind, especially now. Try to keep your body moving and take care of it by giving it enough nutrition.
Smoothie bowls are my new addiction, almost making it every day. And you can vary so much with it! One of my favorite smoothie bowls is made with : Frozen mango, Chia seeds, Oat milk, 1 frozen Banana, Frozen coconut, and sometimes I will add a little scoop of peanut butter or vegan protein. ( depends if I did a little workout that day). And for toppings I LOVE to add some nuts, mostly walnuts.
Besides these tips, we received a sound advice from our MAGIC Lady, Nikki! Read her self-care tip below (with a bonus recipe):
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