The average person is overstimulated, overscheduled, and overstressed. When it’s so hard to say no to someone or you’re worried about missing out on something exciting, it no wonder so many people neglect self-care and experience burnouts.
Practicing self-care is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You should be prioritizing it on a daily basis.
Practicing Mindfulness
Self-care is about tuning into your body and its physical and emotional needs. Psychology Today states that being self-aware helps you identify stress triggers, which allows you to avoid the situation and learn to cope before the problem escalates.
You can practice mindfulness in many different ways. Take five minutes to meditate, go for a stroll through nature and reflect, or keep a mood journal. These activities will help you look inward and become more self-aware.
Check In With Yourself
It’s good practice to take time throughout the day to check in with yourself. If you find you are overwhelmed at work, try taking a 10-minute walk to clear your head. It can be just what you need to refocus.
Or if you know large social events exhaust you, make sure you schedule time to rest and recover afterward. Create time to relax and decompress. You can read a book, treat yourself to a spa, or indulge in a delicious meal with friends you enjoy spending time with.
Forbes encourages people to learn to say no. It is perfectly okay — and healthy — to say no to going out when you want a night in or to tell your boss you cannot take on anymore to your workload if it is going to cause stress and anxiety. You have a right to take care of your mental health.
Exercise & Eat Right
Physical and mental health go hand in hand. When you are overexerting yourself, healthy diet and regular exercise can quickly fall by the wayside. You’ll begin to feel sluggish and want to stay in all the time which will only add to your stress, which is why you cannot let this slip.
Exercising and eating right releases hormones that make you feel strong and happy. Prioritizing your physical health will not only make you healthier, but will make you feel better too.
Make Sure You Do the Basics
Too often, the small, everyday, healthy-living routines get neglected when you’re constantly in a rush. Generally, it starts small; sacrificing sleep, skipping the shower, dressing in whatever is clean instead of something you want to wear. These small things may seem trivial, but they are key in taking care of yourself.
Getting enough sleep is vital to a healthy lifestyle. It regulates your hormones and mood. Failing to get a proper 7-8 hours of sleep a night increases depression, anxiety, and stress. Taking the time to bathe and get dressed is just as important. The fact that you put time and effort into your appearance will remind you that you deserve to feel good about yourself all the time, and that starts with these basic, everyday steps.
Feeling Good Again
At the heart of self-care is learning self-love and self-respect. This is important for every person, but can be especially helpful to those recovering from addiction. Practicing self-care will not only help you in learning to manage your environment and avoid stress that may lead to relapse, but also sets a solid foundation for rebuilding a healthy lifestyle. It can help build confidence and encourage you to explore new hobbies without getting overwhelmed. You’ll be able to feel good in your own skin again.
Putting Yourself First
Practicing self-care on a daily basis is a necessary healthy habit. It can be as simple as a 5-minute meditation or a walk around the block. The important thing is taking the time to step away and check in with yourself. There is no need to burnout. It’s time you put yourself first.
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Brad Krause graduated from college in 2010 and went straight to the corporate world at the headquarters of a popular retail company. But what started as a dream job soured quickly. After four years of working 15-hour days and neglecting his health, he decided enough was enough. Through aiding a friend during a tough time, Brad discovered his real calling-helping people implement self-care practices that improve their overall wellbeing. He created SelfCaring.info to share his own knowledge and the many great resources he finds on his self-care journey.