Do you feel like your body is not listening to you? Do you feel like you are constantly being overwhelmed by the tasks at hand? Chances are you are not listening to your body and your mind. The answer to this lies in self-care. It is a buzzword these days and you often see rom-com characters indulging in extravagant things and call it self-care. This doesn’t have to be a huge gesture of indulgence.
It could be as simple as taking a few minutes of your time and strategizing your day. Here’s how :
1) Scheduling your me-time
We often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that is to be done and neglect ourselves saying that we don’t have enough time. You can start taking care of yourself by giving yourself ten minutes after every hour of work. This could be anything, it could be getting some caffeine in your system or taking a wall.
2) Digital detox
Our devices consume us; we are constantly scrolling to get our daily dose of the internet while our brains are stressed. Do you feel like you can’t stop scrolling even when it makes you feel anxious or sad? Yeah! That’s doom scrolling. The only way you can get away from it is to monitor your screen time and set some time aside for yourself. Set aside your devices and follow what lets you unwind.
3) Self-care is personal
Taking care of ourselves is deeply personal, it could be the most trivial things like reading a book or penning down your thoughts, or listening to music. There’s no right way of practising self-care.
4) Be adventurous with food
It is understandable that we have set tastes when it comes to food. venturing into new cuisines and eating healthy could be a huge addition to your self-care routine. We often feel drained and lightheaded, and cranky while working for long hours, it is because we don’t stay hydrated or have enough food during this period.
5) Say thanks
Practising gratitude is a great way of self-care, although it seems anticlimactic, gratitude is a great tool in your arsenal when it comes to growth. It could include waking up and taking a few minutes to be thankful for the past- good memories, bad times, and how you’re thankful that they are over. You can be thankful for what or who you have right now.
6) Bring a little joy into the world
Things like holding the door open for someone or buying your long-distance friend a brownie not only help others but giving is a reward in itself. In reality, being generous triggers a chain of events in your brain that enhance your mood, lower your stress level, improve your physical health overall, increase your sense of self-worth, and even extend your life!
7) Bask in some sunlight
Do you ever wonder why you suddenly wake up at 3 am when you have a flight to catch? Your body’s clock responds to light, as a signal to be awake, and dark, as a signal to fall asleep. Unlike other essential vitamins, which are obtained through food, vitamin D is achieved through the skin’s exposure to the sun. This doesn’t end here; sun exposure produces melanin in our body which in turn helps produce melatonin which is often referred to as the sleep hormone.
8) ‘No’ is the operational word
Taking time out for yourself is next to impossible when you can not say no to people. This could be your boss or your friends who are making a plan to go outside but you are feeling a little antisocial. It is very important to set boundaries and schedule your me-time to concentrate on yourself. The fear of disappointing others and FOMO (fear of missing out) is always present but you have to be assertive about what you want to do and stand your ground. Keep in mind that the world will still be there when you take a 30-minute break. And you’ll be in a far better, healthier condition to deal with the world around you when you do return.
9) Don’t stress, it’s self-care
It would be counterintuitive to stress out and feel anxious about your self-care routine. As we have discussed before, there’s always some time in your day if you strategize properly. There’s also no right way to do it.
Wellness instead of stress.
The journey is going to be challenging and fun. What you have to remember is to be patient with yourself. Self-care is an ongoing process. You might not see the results immediately, but it shall show eventually and will be especially evident to those around you in the form of positive energy. They would see a different person when they look at you. The secret to success is to keep going!