Self-care is all the rage these days. And why shouldn’t it be? Taking care of ourselves is one of the most important things we can do in our lives. It doesn’t matter whether you are a philanthropist or good samaritans at heart, we all need a little extra love every now and then.
Self-care doesn’t have to be a huge, grand, expensive gesture for yourself, although, take it from us: it can be! It can be something simple, small, and meaningful for yourself. There isn’t a scale of how you practice self-care, and it isn’t comparable from one person to another. This should be encouraging for you! This means that you don’t have to go out and completely rearrange your lifestyle or spend your retirement savings on a new program. What it does mean, is that you have the freedom and the opportunity to learn how to love yourself in new ways. Curious? Take some deep breaths, and read on for our favorite self-care strategies!
1. Count your blessings.
Okay, cheesy, we know, we know. But seriously, keeping track of good things that happen in your life will do wonders for your mental health and emotional self-care. It can be so easy to start that negative self-talk after a rough day at work or when things are just generally hard. Those days–those weeks–happen to the best of us, and can be big triggers for anxiety. But taking a few moments right before you go to bed, or throughout your day, can be really helpful to reset your mind and build some gratitude into your daily routine. Plus, on the extra hard days, you will have a record of goodness to look back on and be thankful for.
2. Try something new.
When we say, “Try something new,” what comes to mind? Maybe there’s a pottery course you’ve been interested in taking or a new yoga class at the gym. Maybe there is a new recipe on your Pinterest board or a woodworking project you just haven’t gotten around to yet. Taking time to integrate new things into your daily routine can be a form of self-care–you are a person, and your thoughts and desires matter! Create space in the day to day to be a little adventurous, even if trying something new just means ordering something new on the menu.
3. Find a way to move every day.
No, we don’t just mean moving from your bed to your couch every day, although that’s a start. It is generally recommended to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. You know this doesn’t just refer to time in the gym–it could be taking your dogs for a walk, playing with your kids on the playground, working in the garden, swimming laps in the pool… you get it. Getting your body moving is essential to taking care of yourself. It doesn’t have to be your most intense workout for it to be helpful and cultivating for your physical health.
4. Give yourself a break from technology.
Kids these days, adults these days, everybody these days are constantly attached to technology in one form or another. We don’t care how old fashioned you are, because that’s the truth–we live in a digital world. And while it has its benefits, it also has its consequences for you, too. Scrolling through your Instagram for hours can be just as draining for you as it can be for your phone battery, so put your phone down and detox if you can. Whether you set a limit on your device itself (psst–you can set a timer on your phone to lock apps after a certain period of time), or just keep it out of specific rooms (i.e., no phones at the dinner table or in bedrooms), this can do wonders for your mental health and your energy levels.
5. Eat Breakfast.
This is a big one–who eats breakfast anymore? You know, breakfast, the most important meal of the day? Yeah, that one. There’s a reason it is so important. Eating breakfast can set you up for success in more ways than one, including helping extend your energy and keep you from bingeing on that bag of chips after you get home from work. If you have a hard time getting up in the morning, mix up some overnight oats or chia seed pudding, or slice and package some fruit for an easy grab-and-go option when you are running out the door in the morning to grab your Uber.
6. Take a hard look at your sleep schedule.
Whether you absolutely adore sleeping or think it is a total waste of time, we all need sleep. Most of us need between 6-8 hours of sleep per night; some people naturally need more, and others naturally won’t need as much. How well you sleep can be a huge indicator of how well you are taking care of yourself, and if you are dealing with huge amounts of stress or are walking through a season of transition, sleep actually becomes more important, even if it is one of the first things to go in our routines. To get better sleep, steer away from caffeine and sugar, cut down on the blue light technology before you hit the hay, and consider adding some yoga or meditation into your routine before you turn out the lights. Each of those things can be super helpful to make sure you get as many REM cycles as possible per night.
7. Supplement your daily routine.
Whether you add some Full Spectrum CBD Tincture Oil into your morning routine or keep some CBD Gummies at your desk for the 2pm slump, supplementing your life with nutrients, vitamins, and other products can be a really easy way to practice self care. Whether you use as needed or take a few gummies every day, you may be able to notice a whole new level of confidence, calmness, and collectedness in the way you function day by day. Sounds like a win to us!
No matter what strategies you try, we hope these self-care ideas are helpful as you seek to integrate more personal well-being work into your daily routine. Happy self-caring!
This article is originally published at SundayScaries.
