How do you practice self-care? Do you do it daily, monthly, yearly, or never? Most people find it hard to practice self care. We have so many responsibilities: work, family, friends, and social commitments that leave us with no time for ourselves. In fact, some days we barely find time to brush our hair or teeth.
Self care is a habit you need to establish. Studies have shown that you can create a habit in just 21 days. That’s all the time you need to establish a new routine. You need to push aside the thought that self care is selfish or that you don’t have the time right now. If you don’t take the time to care for yourself, you could end up stressed and burned out.
Related Story: 7 Easy Steps to Develop Positive Habits
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Easy Self Care Tips
There are so many easy ways to practice self care, but here are seven you can try today.
1. Have a Pajama Day
Getting dressed up every day, fixing our hair and makeup takes time and feels uncomfortable. It’s okay to have a day when you wear your pajamas all day long. Sometimes I even shower and put on fresh pajamas. These days full of zoom meetings and conference calls, it is alright to wear sweat pants and comfy clothes if that is your preference.
2. Create a Sleep Schedule
It is important to create a sleep schedule and stick to it so it is consistent. Lack of sleep leads to stress, depression, anxiety and mood swings, to name a few. Create a bedtime routine that is relaxing and stress free. It could include reading, meditation, or journaling, anything to help you relax and unwind.
3. Take Shortcuts
We all have chores we would like to avoid, but on the days you feel overwhelmed, you can take shortcuts. Use disposable dishes, order takeout, eat out, hire a housekeeper, bribe your kids to do chores, let the laundry pile up for a day or two. It is okay to get messy sometimes as long as it doesn’t negatively impact your mental health.
You can’t avoid your chores forever but you can develop a plan or schedule and on the bad days only do the bare minimum. Discover the life hacks that work for you.
4. Avoid the News
There is always something bad happening in the news. You could skip a week or two, turn the news back on and discover something else bad happening in the world. Since there is little you can do to influence world events, take a break from the news cycle. It doesn’t mean that you don’t care about what is happening in the world.
Related reading: 7 Stress- Reducing Tips
5. Avoid Social Media
It’s hard to disconnect, especially when the world is so connected, but just like the news, sometimes we need a social media break. There’s a difference between staying informed and being inundated with information which social media does. Just log out for a day or two. Alternatively, you could just turn off notifications and check social media once a day so you don’t become overwhelmed.
6. Eat What You Want
It is so important to your health and wellbeing to eat healthy, but don’t say no to the occasional treat. For instance, if pie is your favourite dessert, eat it. Not every day, because that’s not healthy, but once in a while, it’s a wonderful treat. Life is too short to deny yourself all the time, so stop feeling guilty and indulge once in a while. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
7. Have a Day of Me
Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is nothing at all. That doesn’t mean doing chores, scrolling social media all day or planning your next year. It means reading a book, binge-watching a TV show, meditating, journaling, or taking a walk in nature. It is about refreshing yourself instead of exhausting yourself. Give yourself time and space to do nothing and enjoy it with guilt.
Related reading: 10 Benefits of Journal Writing
Last Words on Self Care Tips
The first step on the road to self-care is compassion. Go easy on yourself. You don’t have to do everything in one day. Take a break when you need it. Put yourself first once in a while. When you are happy and relaxed, everyone else in your life will benefit. How do you practice self-care?
Take Care
Linda
Feature image by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash .
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