The term “#self-care” gets thrown around a lot these days. ... In essence, this is what self-care is: caring for ourselves. It is really anything that we deliberately do (or refrain from doing) with our own well-being in mind. It means giving ourselves the same grace, compassion, and care that we give to others.
Why is it important? Self-care encourages you to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself so that you can transmit the good feelings to others. You cannot give to others what you don't have yourself. While some may misconstrue self-care as selfish, it's far from that.
Putting “me time” on the back burner is a big part of why we can all feel run-down, stressed, and overwhelmed. It seems that 21st-century life revolves around working ’til your eyes bleed. However, it’s more important than ever to be kind to yourself and make self-care a priority.
There’s no set prescription for how or when to do it. Here are some strategies for slashing stress, boosting happiness, and improving overall health.
Get Outside - spending time outdoors benefits the brain
Pay it forward - By helping others, we actually help ourselves, too. Lending a hand not only boosts mental health, but may also lead to a longer life.
Breath the Right Scents - research suggests that when life gives you lemons, citrus scents — orange essential oil in particular — can help slash stress and anxiety.
BE Happy! I know. This often seems easier said than done. Happiness feels good. I mean, duh. But it’s also genuinely great for your health. When you’re healthy, you’re happy, and vice versa. For those who find “be happy” just a little bit of a reach, it turns out there’s actually a simple way to feel more upbeat: Just crack a smile!
Dance Around - When all else fails, do Baby Shark. Or one of the other dances. Shaking your booty doesn’t just burn calories. It may also lead to improved mood,
Turn up the tunes - If you’ve ever noticed that certain songs bring a smile to your face, you’re not alone. Listening to happy music also helps stimulate creative thinking
Swear it off - dropping an F-bomb might be an easy way to blow off some steam
Laugh out loud (LOL) - There’s a reason people say laughter is “the best medicine.” Chuckling and giggling benefit our mental and physical health, especially when combined with exercise.
Get enough Zzz’s - There’s tons of things that can sabotage our sleep, whether it’s a late night at the office, a wild night with friends, or just catching up on your favorite TV show. The problem is, skimping on shut-eye can hurt job productivity.
Unplug - These days, it feels like everyone’s glued to a phone, laptop, or both at the same time. Deliberately taking a break from social media, e-mail, blogging, and so on can help us recharge and give our brain the downtime it needs to work at an optimal level.
Life is hard! But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. The first step is wanting to see a change in your day-to-day life. If something’s not right, fix it. The most important part of all this is being kind to yourself.
Don’t punish yourself for forgetting to go do something for yourself. It’s more important that these changes are sustainable and nourishing, rather than a chore and a drag!! Most importantly be careful not to make yourself unhappy while trying to find happiness...this is a common pitfall.
Sandra
