We live in the world where putting yourself first is considered two things – as a selfish activity and as a luxury. There is always something else that has a priority over our health, our wellbeing and happiness. But, it must not be this way.
Self-care is important as it is beneficial for our physical, emotional and mental well-being. If you belong to the group of people who a) never put themselves first: b) believe that doing something for their benefit is a luxurious activity, then, you should pay attention to these 7 easy habits that will get you started.
Do something every day that makes you happy
If you are new to the idea of putting yourself first, start small. Try doing something for at least 30 minutes every day for a month. Pick an activity that will genuinely make you happy. Even though thirty minutes might sound like not enough time do anything at all, you’ll be surprised.
A lot can be done in thirty minutes, but first you should embrace the idea of putting your phone on silent. Do not let anyone disturb your happy time. Have you been dying to read a good book for months? Now you have thirty minutes to read each and every day. It has been said that reading books has a positive impact on your intelligence and emotional IQ. It also helps with stress and it appears that people who read live longer than those who don’t!
Manage technology stress
When was the last time you logged off from your social media accounts? You are probably thinking “How dare you ask something like that?” because you have an addiction. Quite frankly, we all have an addiction as we fear that we might miss out on something important. But guess what? We won’t and it’s time we fight this technology related stress. You’ll be surprised how much time a person spends infinitely scrolling through Instagram feed on a daily basis.
Take baby steps at first. Try spending eight working hours straight without checking your Instagram or Facebook feed. Instead of scrolling through social media during your lunch break, try talking to your colleagues. The whole idea behind this is to spend your time on things that matter more instead on things that might be the cause of stress. The only way to fight the negative impact of the ever-present technology is to just turn it off.
Embrace JOMO
Staying away from social media is your first step to JOMO – the joy of missing out. Instead of fearing the idea of missing things, try embracing the joy of missing out. Constantly thinking about the things someone should or could do takes charge of your time and mental energy. You do not have to take part in every activity presented to you by your friends because sometimes you have to put yourself first. Learn to say no and learn how to take charge of your own time.
By placing me time high on your to do list, you have more mental and physical energy for your true priorities.
Work-life balance – reclaim control
People easily allow their career to take over their free time. By letting your career invade your personal life, you are one step closer to burning out. Being married to your work has many negative effects on your personal life and happiness levels. That is why reclaiming control of your time and priorities must take place.
In order to stop the endless work day (that takes control of your personal life) start focusing on smaller goals. Instead of creating a lengthy to do list, try creating a one thing list. This will channel your focus on one singular goal and even increase your productivity.
Another thing one must master is to leave work at work! When the clock strikes five it is time to leave the office and make a conscious decision to stop thinking about work. In addition to this, limit the access to your emails. The fact that someone might be working overseas from a different time zone does not mean that you have to respond to that email immediately. You can do that first thing in the morning. That’s when your work day starts, right?
Find a kind of movement that serves you
Not only does the regular physical activity benefit your health, but it also helps you reduse stress, fight the anxiety, feel better, look better and sleep better. It is also considered as one of the pillars of self-care. Regular physical exercise will help you fight the negative effects of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. In order to do this, your body has to produce endorphins and the easiest way of doing this is by finding the movement that works best for you.
Some people like to jog around the block or ride a bike, while others like to do yoga. Some say that they can’t live without their Pilates classes, while the rest can’t go a day without lifting heavy ways. Whichever activity you choose, bear in mind that it is not a chore, so do not consider it as one. It is something that will keep you healthy and stress free every day and it is one of the best forms of self-care
Self care starts with health care
First thing that is associated with the concept of self care is often just the idea of taking part in any physical activity. Even though it is true (as we’ve mentioned in the previous paragraph) self care is also taking care of our health.
The concept of health is not only limited to going to your general practitioner regularly, having healthy lifestyle, eating healthy, sleeping regularly and taking care of your hygiene. It is also about taking preventative care before any symptom arises. Oral health is often neglected and forgotten about until we have a problem. Then it is the main cause of our anxiety and stress as people often fear any type of dental appointment. That is why preventive care should be a part of our self care rituals. If you have any concerns about the finest way for you to practice preventative dental care, seek out expert opinion of reliable dental office such as Penrith Dental Clinic as they will know how to guide you. With a little effort on your part, you can maintain a healthy smile and enjoy peace of mind.
Avoid emotional eating
Stress is the main reason why we seek comfort in unhealthy treats and snacks. Food should be the main source of our energy and not the coping mechanism. Next time you feel like you want to emotionally eat, stop and ask yourself “will this nourish me right now? Am I genuinely hungry right now? Why am I eating this? You will know the answer instantly and it will help you break this cycle.
In order to avoid the temptation of burying your emotions in carton of ice cream, try to have a balanced diet throughout the day. Next, try addressing your emotions by journaling. You will feel much better after twenty minutes of writing then after eating junk food. Another way to avoid temptation is to keep a food journal and pay attention to you macros. By doing this, you will acknowledge that you are not hungry. Yoi simply need some me time and tender loving care.
Self care is the best prescription anyone can get. Most importantly, it does not require much –a person just has to make a conscious decision to put their health and wellness first.