Let’s be real: most of us don’t practice self-care, and we all have tons of excuses as to why we don’t. We’re too busy, we don’t feel like we need it, it doesn’t work; the list may never end. Instead, we go along with our lives and continue to feel like we’re off our game or are just plain unhappy. Thankfully, there are so many ways to practice self-care. No matter what your schedule is like, no matter what your interests are, you can always find something to do each day to make life a little more vibrant. All it takes is a bit of thought. Don’t worry, we’ve got a few ideas to get you started.
The most important aspect of self-care is taking time for yourself. Whether it’s fifty minutes or five, any time you have to simply relax on your own is worth it. Being around other people can be exhausting, and the time alone to recharge is crucial. If you’re the active type, going for walks, hikes, or heading to the gym is a great way to blow off steam and release any built-up frustrations. If you’re not so fond of sweating, there are plenty of other activities that you can do alone; meditating, listening to music, taking a bath, or even therapeutic house cleaning. Any task that you enjoy is perfect, as long as it gives you time to unwind.
Another extension of this is detaching yourself from social media. When we have so many avenues for connecting with friends and family at your fingertips, it’s hard to disconnect from the world around us. Sometimes you just need to take a step back from everything and re-center yourself. You don’t need to know what that kinda-sorta friend you have from work ate this morning, or how your third cousin feels about a certain meme they found. The connection we have with others now makes it borderline-impossible to live in our own moments, instead of someone else’s.
And unfortunately, that connection also makes it easy for negativity to seep into our lives. We can all admit to being sucked into the comments of any post we see, almost addicted to reading what ‘haters’ have to say. While that may seem entertaining, it’s only bringing you down in the long run. This happens in your face-to-face connections as well; we might say we want to be positive, but we can’t help but me sucked into the gossip session that’s happening in the break room. Soon enough, your entire focus is on the negatives of life, not the positives. Distancing yourself from negativity is a powerful way to alter your lifestyle, and ultimately make your self-care immensely more easy. Whether it’s cutting ties with those you see in your daily routine or unfollowing an account, life becomes so much brighter when you adjust your surroundings to fit a better world view.
If cutting ties seems too extreme for you, you can change your view on life in other ways. Positive affirmations and positive self-talk are both proven to put the pep back in your step. Contrary to popular belief, it’s healthy to talk to yourself. Encouraging yourself when you’re feeling down and reminding yourself that everything is going to be okay is extremely important; instead of relying on others to affirm you, you’re finding the strength to believe in yourself. Our society has such a negative view of those who are self-assured and positive; they’re seen as selfish, obnoxious, and egotistical. Somehow, we’ve come to believe that you aren’t allowed to like yourself in any way. Well, to hell with that! Even if you don’t believe it now, the mind is a powerful thing. Start by looking at yourself in the mirror every morning, giving yourself one affirmation. Take baby steps, and do whatever you’re comfortable with. Soon enough, you’ll start to believe in what you say, and in turn you’ll see the positivity manifest in your life. Reminding yourself of these affirmations throughout the day reinforces the concepts as well. Even if it’s a simple “I’m a smart, capable person.” when your life seems to be testing you, it can work wonders. By introducing positive ideas about yourself you are practicing the utmost form of self-care without even realizing it.
What’s great about taking care of yourself is that it doesn’t have to take up a huge chunk of your time, and it doesn’t have to be sometime you dread. Having hobbies that you love, thinking positively, and being kind to yourself are all perfect ways of caring for your own wellbeing that don’t require hours of your time. And once you start caring for yourself, you can start caring for others too. Everyone will notice the positive vibes you give off when you enter a room, and how much happier you’ve become. It only takes one person to start a trend; why not make self-care trendy? Because honestly, there’s nothing better than feeling good about yourself.
