As we all know, life can be busy and stressful. Sometimes it can feel like it's moving a million miles an hour. Every once and awhile our bodies and minds need a break also known as self-care.
What is self-care and why is it so important?
Self-care is defined as the practice of improving or maintaining one’s physical and mental health.
In this blog, we will discuss important self-care habits and how to make them a part of your routine.
Taking Care of Yourself
Balancing work, life, and everything in between may seem like a challenge that’s not worth tackling. However, taking the time to take care of your mind and body is extremely important.
Just like a car, you can’t run on empty. You can’t effectively work for your clients or take care of your family without taking care of yourself first.
When Should You Practice Self-Care
Everyone has a different routine when it comes to taking care of your mind and body. Some people do something to take care of themselves daily and others may schedule time weekly to practice self-care.
Find a routine that works for you. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to what you need!
You should not wait to practice self-care when you are exhausted. Your routine is there to help you from becoming completely exhausted both mentally and physically.
How to Practice Self-Care
There are a few different ways you can practice self-care! It will depend on the person, but here are a few general ways you can take care of your mind and body:
- Get enough sleep
- Eat nutritious foods
- Exercise regularly
These three practices are a great start to practicing self-care! The human body needs to rest, requires nutritious food, and movement in order to be able to function properly.
To take it a step further, practicing self-care can be doing anything that brings you joy!
If any of the following brings you joy or just helps you relax, you should incorporate it into your daily or weekly routine
- Read a new book
- Listen to your favorite music
- Take a walk or a hike
- Watch your favorite show or movie
- Take a break from work and social media
- Learn to say “no”
- Mediate
- Take a workout class
- Talk to a mental health specialist
If your mental health needs time with friends or family, then do that! There are so many ways to stay connected these days even if you are far away.
Here’s a few ways to stay connected:
- FaceTime - you can even do a group FaceTime with multiple people at once
- Play video games online with your friends
- A good old fashioned phone call
Take Care
To summarize, it is important to put your mental and physical health first. You can’t pour from an empty cup.