Well being is a daily struggle for many of us. Simple things can throw us off our game. And sometimes it feels like all bad things are happening at the same time. But a little bit of daily self care can have a big positive impact.
What is Self-Care?
It’s doing small things to take care of yourself, such as eating healthy, talking positively to yourself or giving yourself enough sleep, to keep your mind, body and soul healthy.
Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.
In a busy life it can often feel selfish, or that we don’t have time to take care of ourselves. And it’s really, really hard. But there are many small things you can do, that take little time or effort, that can have a big impact.
Taking care of yourself in small ways can affect for example how active, creative and confident you feel. And help with productivity and your ability to fall sleep.
Self-care works best if practised often, but the golden rule for myself is not to stress about it. The ultimate goal of self-care is not to make your life more stressful, but to take moments to rest, motivate and recharge.
Self-Care for the Mind
- Declutter. Are your physical and online things useful or baggage?
- Reply to the email or remove them. Leaving emails unreplied, does not take them off your mind. One thing you could do is to organise them, and unsubscribe newsletters that clutter up your inbox.
- Unplug. Leave your devices, and notice how much you rely on them.
- Remind yourself of compliments you’ve received, forget the insults.
- Make to-do-lists.
- Journal. process your day by writing down the good, the bad and the ugly. It can help process experiences, evolve ideas and hold yourself accountable.
- Make routines for big and small tasks, such as morning, evening, sleep and beauty routines.
- Try something new. Get out of your comfort zone every once in a while, explore new ideas and keep things interesting.
- Meditate. Even 5 minutes of focussing on your breathing can refresh your mind.
- Pause. For every 50 minutes of work/studying, take a break and do something else for 10 minutes; take baths, read books or listen to music.
Self-Care for the Body
- Drink water.
- Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Go outside into the sunlight. Just 15 minutes of sunlight has an impact on your health and happiness.
- If you’re not working out, try to add physical activity into your daily routines, such as walking more stairs and cycling instead of taking the car. Exercise can boost your mood and memory.
- Dance. And let go.
- Stretch.
- Schedule your sleep, and take naps, and if you have trouble sleeping just lay down, you will still get rest from it.
- Moisturize. Dry skin can irritate or itch, and that can be frustrating real quick.
- Consume with moderation. Enjoy great food and beverages, diversify, experiment, but don’t over indulge.
- Be comfortable. Own comfortable clothes and shoes so you don’t always restrain your body.
- Invest in shoes and a mattress. You spend your life either in your shoes or in bed.
Self-Care for the Soul
- Pray. Petitioning, to consider what’s importat. Thanksgiving, to be reminded of all we have. Or asking for forgiveness, to be reminded we make mistakes, but it doesn’t mean all is lost.
- Be your own best friend. Get to know yourself, talk to yourself the way you talk to a friend, prioritize yourself, and take joy in spending time by yourself.
- Observe. We often see, but are blind to the details. Look up on buildings, watch animals or read the plaque. There is beauty all around us.
- Help someone, pay it forward, and try to be a source for good. Being nice is a selfish act.
- Ask for help. We can’t do everything alone, and people want to help.
- Treat yourself. But remember material things are just that, material.
- Be mindful of the people you surround yourself with. The people you spend time with most, will effect you most. You don’t have to like or get along with everyone, but be aware of gaslighting. And know you’ll benefit from cutting toxic people from your life.
- Be silly. Watch comedy, make jokes and find humor in life. Our time on this planet is short, we may as well have a good time. Don’t take yourself too serious, and allow yourself to like what you like, do what you do, and disregard the haters.
- Forgive yourself and others.
- Practice a hobby. Learn, improve or perfect a skill, and do it for yourself.
- Invest in your friends. Don’t neglect the people who care for you. Big networks are useful, but there’s value in quality over quantity.
- Allow yourself to feel what you feel, and allow yourself to cry. You can’t micro-manage your emotions, accept them for what they are, and allow yourself time to heal from the experiences that have hurt you.
- Contribute to the community.
If I don’t love myself, I won’t survive.
To protect and nurture the mind, care for our vessel, and safeguard our soul is a divine calling. We are entrusted with ourselves, a gift to cultivate. Our health, well-being, and happiness are important, and while it can be hard, we will pick ourselves back up and hold the pieces together. I truly believe that by cherishing our mind, body, and soul, we do more than we realize.
