We hear the term self-care often. With many stressors in our personal lives and around the world, impacting all of us, the idea of self-care is even more prominent as the world changes and shifts. You have probably heard about many strategies to cope, such as: taking a walk, taking a nap, writing down positive thoughts and others. Let’s explore additional self-care strategies you might try.
Below are some more ways to add self-care to your life. Self-care helps you balance emotions, feel less stressed, and more motivated about life.
One effective way to self care is often overlooked: respecting your own boundaries. Make a list of your needs and a list of your wants. You can take this exercise further by listing your values. This list will help you to affirm your boundaries and make decisions accordingly.
Another strategy is to fill a calendar with an activity that you enjoy daily. For example, Monday 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm for yoga practice; perhaps choose a monthly theme for these daily activities- for example January may be Learning more about Myself, September maybe Think Abundance, November maybe Gratitude and so on.
Set weekly intentions for your Mind, Body, and Soul- such as writing in a daily or weekly journal, trying out a new exercise, and meditating for just two minutes. Try to set different intentions every week.
Listen to your body. Your body is your temple and the vehicle that moves you through all of life's ups and downs. Take two minutes daily to listen to your body. Are you feeling any pain? Are you feeling any tension? Are you stressed about something so much that you are clenching your jaws and now you feel a migraine coming on? Do you need to just let go of couple of chores today and get to bed early? Give this gift of intentional reflection to your body.
As part of listening to your body, make sure you get your annual physical exam and check out your blood, cholesterol, blood pressure, thyroid levels etc to make sure your body is functioning at its optimal level. Taking a day off to see your medical providers should not be seen as a chore but as a gift to yourself. Having this perspective will help you do this.
Looking into decluttering and minimized living is also another great way to do self care. For this exercise, do not overwhelm yourself, but rather take just one corner of a room in your home and clear just that corner for the week. Yes, it's a slow project, but with consistency you will make a huge progress over time.
Building up your self-care regimen takes time and consistency. For support around this, click here.