SELF CARE IS WHERE IT'S AT

 Self care is the utmost important thing you can do right now. How you treat yourself and take care of yourself is just as important as how you treat other people. As we go through the bumps along the way in life, it is important to provide yourself with the tools and necessities to care for yourself and understand how truly important it is. During any time in life, we tend to keep working and striving for what we want in life without taking time for ourselves and understanding the importance of it. 

First, lets dive into why self-care matters. It is important to make sure you take good care of your body, mind and soul everyday because your overall view of yourself gets uplifted and you have a more positive attitude in your life. Learning how to eat right, reduce stress, exercise regularly and take a time-out when you need it are touchstones of self-care and can help you stay healthy, happy and resilient. A lot of us often fail at self-care because we are crazy busy usually things to survive, have stressful job or for a lot of us, are too consumed with technology to make time for ourselves. Now a days, the 9 to 5 regular work day is extended and comes with a lot of elasticity. Self-care is usually  last on peoples to do list and when you finally do have time, you are either too tired, lazy or unmotivated to go through with it. What's even worse is that we can sometimes feel guilty about taking the time required to take care of ourselves, hence we prefer not to follow through with the commitment. 

Engaging in Self-Care is sometimes hard and you may feel like you do not know where or how to start. To start, search up free quizzes online and search for strategies/tips that you can do to help you formulate a plan. You can join Self-Care programs online, define self care goals for yourself in the process  and have a connection with a group online about Self-Care as well. 

Here is a list of 12 other ways to get started with your Self-Care journey: 

1. Put a strong focus on making sleep part of your self-care routine. By developing a good sleep pattern, you feel both emotionally and physically better but thinking about things like what you are stressing about in life and other distractions can wreak havoc on your sleep as well. It's important to not have any distractions when you are trying to sleep and even turn off your phone at night if you have to and reading a book will help you get to sleep if you need assistance.  

2. Take care of yourself by taking care of your gut. This is crucial to do and it has a significant impact on your health, well being and feelings of vitality. What you eat crucially impact the bacteria that lives in your stomach, so it is important to put in healing foods and beneficial nutrients to ensure your body can run at peak performance day in and day out. 

3. Exercising daily as part of your self-care routine is crucial for your mental and physical well-being. It doesn't have to be much to make an immediate impact on you and boosting your overall mood  and reducing stress and anxiety is crucial for a happier and more well rounded you. 

4. Learning how to say no to others and saying yes to your self-care. Learning how to say no is really hard and it may seem like a daunting task. Many of us feel obligated to say yes when someone asks for our time and energy, however, if you're already stressed or overworked, saying yes to loved ones or coworkers can lead to burnout, anxiety and irritability. So it is important to practice saying no. 

5. Taking a Self-Care break by getting outside in the fresh air. Getting outside helps reduce your stress and helps you focus on life's little moments. Going for a walk or an outdoor adventure is key for not only your mental well being, but also your emotional and physical well being as well. You can overcome some symptoms like depression or burnout, which is happening more and more lately because of the ongoing pandemic. It is important to get outside as it can help you sleep better at night, especially if you partake in some physical activity such as gardening, hiking, biking, soccer or walking while you are outside. 

6. Let a pet help you with your Self-Care. Your pet is a great boost to your Self-Care, if you have one. Although pets can be a lot to take care of and handle, they can also boost your moral, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. The can help you relieve stress just by wanting your attention and you being in their presence, can also help you feel less anxious and can even help you lower blood pressure. Many people who suffer from disorders like PTSD have benefited from working daily with animals. which is why service dogs have become so helpful for these individuals. 

7. Keeping Organized helps you become a healthier version of yourself and allows you to figure out exactly what you need to do to take better care of yourself. Even the slightest of change in your organizational pattern will help you take better care of yourself. Keeping a daily planner or a calendar is a good way to keep organized, prioritizing your life's to do list is beneficial for yourself and writing down all your responsibilities and appointments helps keep your life a bit more organized as well and benefits your life. 

8. Lastly, schedule your Self-Care time and guard that time with everything you have. Look for small ways to incorporate the time into your life and keep that time there for yourself. Whether that is going on a walk by yourself, with friends, enjoying a group video chat with friends or reading a good book, Self-care time is imperative and crucial for your life. 

The more you work on self-care time and incorporate it into your schedule, the better you'll be able to grow, enjoy your life and thrive. Yes life is a fast paced race at times, but the most important thing that you can do and slow it down and enjoy life's' little moments and all that they have to offer.   

After all, your Self-Care time is the most important time and the ability to take advantage of the opportunities when it presents is critical for the ongoing development.  

Continue to keep safe, stay happy and keep positive. "Your life is what you make it out to be"

GW.