Between work, home, and social responsibilities, do you often feel that all your time is spent caring for others?
Neglecting self-care is easy in a busy world, but the consequences can be serious. Adding self-care practices to your daily routine can greatly strengthen your health and well-being. Plus, experts share that the happiest and most successful people regularly focus on self-care!
Try these simple self-care strategies today:
- Block out time for self-care in your schedule. It’s not enough to occasionally stop your busy lifestyle, walk, or indulge in a hot bath. Self-care is an ongoing process. You reserve time in your schedule for other appointments, therefore you can set aside time to take care of yourself. It’s important to adopt self-care habits that you can enjoy regularly. They’ll help you avoid burnout, increase your productivity, and allow you to enjoy life.
- Enjoy your favourite hobby. Whether you love to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen or paint pictures of sunsets, your favourite hobbies can be part of self-care. Hobbies and activities you already enjoy are easy to put into practice. You simply have to find room in your schedule to do them. This is an important step and shows your commitment to self-care.
- Make a note of the compliments you receive. You can enjoy this self-care practice even as you work or run errands! Start taking notes of the compliments you receive. You can keep them in a journal, diary, or online folder. Your compliment folder can also include emails, notes, thank you cards, and other things that make you smile. This self-care practice can help you fight negative thoughts. Compliments are reminders you matter, your existence is important, and someone appreciates you.
- Remove clutter. Whether you declutter your closet or clear out the fridge, you’ll feel uplifted as you remove the old stuff you no longer need. Clutter can drain you physically and mentally. It can also make you unhappy as you try to move through your day. Eliminate the things that no longer serve you. For example, if you’re keeping clothes in your closet you hate each time you open the door, replace them with clothes you love.
- Do one selfish act. While it’s not good to be selfish all day, doing one small thing for yourself can be helpful. Enjoy that one thing without guilt! If you find self-care hard, it’s probably because you focus on others too much. Take time for one selfish act like reading your favourite book or skipping a boring call and you’ll feel balanced and important.
Self-care often takes a backseat to work, family, and other obligations. However, without stopping to take care of your mind and body, you’re at risk of burning out and suffering from serious health issues. Start making time for your self-care practices today!
