Self-care describes any deliberate activity you take to promote your physical, emotional, and mental health. Self care comes in several forms. It could be as simple as listening to your favorite songs while you go for a walk or making sure you get enough sleep every night.
Practicing self-care is important if you want to build resilience against those stressors you can’t eliminate from your life. By taking steps (even if it’s baby steps) to look after your mind and body, you will be a lot more ‘fortified’ to live your life to the fullest.
That you’re making time specifically for YOU is not self-centredness and neither should you view it as a luxury. Whatever your schedule looks like, ALWAYS make self-care a priority.
And if you choose not to, don’t look too far for the cause when you find yourself feeling tired, overwhelmed, and ill-equipped to manage life’s many inevitable challenges.
In light of this, we share in this article 4 self-care strategies that would help you better take care of yourself.
- Start a Gratitude Journal
Keeping a gratitude journal can help you work through issues and resolve anxious thoughts. Research even confirmed it can unshackle people from toxic emotions and improve mood.
What makes us even love it more is it’s an activity you can undertake pretty anywhere you want – at home, in the office, or during your daily commute.
- Be Kinder To Yourself
How do you treat yourself when you commit a BIG blunder (or should we say mess up)? Do you continually berate yourself as a form of punishment?
Many times, people are harshly critical of themselves more than they would ever be towards their loved ones or friends. Being non-judgemental and giving yourself acceptance, grace, and patience are some of the best ways to cultivate self-compassion.
A few other ways include speaking more compassionately to yourself, saying no to people’s demands when you’re overwhelmed, and listening to your body when it’s signaling that it’s time to rest.
- Get Enough Sleep
If you allow it (and even when you don’t), tons of factors are ready to sabotage your sleep – from finishing late at the office to night outings with friends to catching up on favorite shows.
If you don’t become disciplined with your sleep routine and you continue to make do with less and less sleep, you risk developing diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
To add to that, sleep deprivation can hurt your job productivity level and cause you to consume larger portions of junk which contribute to the development of the aforementioned diseases.
Therefore, prioritize sleep time for a happier and healthier you.
4. Maintain Happier Friendships and Relationships
Even though a self-care routine is all about creating a me-time where you get to focus on yourself, there are a few effective self-care strategies that involve the people in your lives.
One example is devoting time to the meaningful relationships you have. Loved ones (family, friends, and partners) play an important role in the mental wellbeing of any individual.
Some people have found out that just talking to a relative, friend, or partner on the phone is enough to lift their mood. As a result of this, try to nurture and devote time to maintaining your happy relationships.
