We’re all busy, and finding the time to take proper care of ourselves can be difficult. But if we don’t, it won’t be long before we’re battered from exhaustion and operating in a mental fog where it’s hard to care about anything or anyone. Sometimes we’re so focused on goals, deadlines, achievements, and meeting the excessive expectations that we forget to breathe and practice self-care.
Even during COVID-19, when many of us have more free time than we know what to do with, self-betterment became difficult after the seventh day in pajama bottoms.
What is Self-Care?
Self-care is an essential social work survival skill, which refers to activities and practices that we can engage in regularly to reduce stress and maintain and enhance our short- and longer-term health and well-being. Self-care is necessary for your effectiveness and success in honoring your professional and personal commitments. The best way to practice self-care is to implement tiny self-care habits every day. To regularly include in your life a little bit of love and attention for your own body, mind, and soul.
Being mentally healthy and living well is important to every single one of us whether we are living with a mental illness or not. It’s about enjoying life and fulfilling your potential. It’s having the ability to cope with stresses and grief and it’s about being connected to friends, family, community, and culture.
What are the Benefits of Self- Care?
Some of the benefits of self-care include:
- Greater capacity to manage stress
- Increased resilience
- Reduced symptoms of mental health problems
Taking time for self-care is not always easy, yet accomplishing something little every day, week or month is a decent beginning.
How Do You Engage in Self-Care?
Here are some easy tips for those of you who are busy and don’t have the luxury to take a spa day!
Make sleep part of your self-care routine
Sleep can have a huge effect on how you feel both emotionally and physically. Not getting enough can even cause major health issues.
Eat right for self-care
The food we eat has the potential to either keep us healthy or contribute to weight gain or diseases such as diabetes, but it can also keep our minds working and alert.
Some of the most amazing self-care foods include fatty fish, blueberries, nuts, green leafy veggies, and brassicas, like broccoli.
Be selfish
Do one thing today just because it makes you happy. This is also as simple as face-timing someone you love for 30 minutes and or treat yourself to a nice lunch and drinks.
Unplug for an hour
Switch everything to airplane mode and free yourself from the constant notification of social media and email, and do something which you love it.
Oxygenate by taking three deep breaths
Breathe into your abdomen, and let the air puff out your stomach and chest.
Say no to others, and say yes to your self-care
Learning to say no is really hard; many of us feel obligated to say yes when someone asks for our time or energy. However, if you’re already stressed saying yes to loved ones can lead to anxiety.
It may take a little practice, but once you learn how to politely say no, you’ll have more time for your self-care.
Run
Depending on your physical health run or walk for 10-20 minutes a day.
Dance around
When all else fails, do Baby Shark. Or one of the other dances even if you think you can’t dance, Just dance.
Be still
Sit somewhere green, and be quiet for a few minutes.
Laugh out loud
There’s a reason people say laughter is “the best medicine.”
Your plan of action: Watch a funny movie or a comedy on television — those reruns of “Friends” may actually be good for your heart.
Asking for Help
Reach out for support when you need it. Everyone needs support from time to time. Talking to a family member, a friend, or talk to our mental health professionals at Kazmo Brain Center can make all the difference.
Life is hard. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. The first step is wanting to see a change in your day-to-day life. If something’s not right, just fix it.
Kazmo Brain Center is a counseling center located in Frisco, Texas specializing in mental health and will work with you toward a happier and more satisfying life.
If you are facing problems and you think that you need aid in fixing them, Kazmo Brain Center can do excellent help.
Resource:
everymind.org.au
