Your own health and well-being go out the window when you’re taking care of someone else. However, what many people don’t realize is that to be able to care for someone else, you need to start by caring for yourself. Self-care doesn’t make you selfish, but makes you smart and strong. For your mental and physical well-being, you need to take the time to give yourself what you need.
There will be days when you won’t be able to get out of bed, but you have to. There will be days when anxiety and hopelessness can feel crippling. There will be days when you don’t know what to do, how to do, and what to feel. These are the times when you need to know how to take care of yourself – your mind, body, and heart need the care that you give it.
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Since everyone is different, your idea of self-care might differ, but the following tips are general in nature, and you can tweak them to suit your needs.
1. Identify activities that make you feel good.
This is especially important for your mental well-being. When you pursue activities that you like and enjoy, it elevates your mood, thereby making you feel good. And when you feel good, whatever you need to do doesn’t seem like a burden.
2. Make it a habit to meditate.
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Meditation is one of the most underrated activities that help a great deal when you’re dealing with many things. Done in a secluded and quiet place, it can give you mental clarity and peace when you need it the most. It can center you in a way no other activity can.
3. Watch something funny or comforting.
When you’re dealing with lots of things, take some time out and watch something funny or comforting. It will make you feel good. It lightens things up, and it’s one of the things you need the most in certain situations.
4. Light scented candles in your room.
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Scented candles have a way of bringing comfort to you, but not many people try this. Not only does the soft, muted light from the candles comfort you, the subtle fragrance helps soothe you.
5. Read inspiring quotes.
Yes, this is a cliché, but just try it. It works. Reading inspiring quotes on Pinterest can actually make you feel good. They really do their job – they inspire!
6. Turn down invites or cancel plans.
It’s okay. Really, it is. If you’re not up for it, it’s okay to not go to that friend’s promotion party, or plans for that movie you’ve been wanting to watch. When you’re not a hundred percent, it’s okay to say no, even if it ruffles some feathers. The important thing here is to do what makes you happy, rather than do something to make someone else happy.
7. If you need help, you need only ask.
Realize that you’re not Superman/Supergirl. You’re a regular human, and that’s okay. So you may need help from time to time, and that’s okay too. But you need to ask people for help if you’re in over your head. If you don’t ask for it, you’re not going to get it. People closest to you will think you’ve got it under control, when you’ve clearly not. So, open your mouth and ASK!
8. Don’t force yourself to do things.
If you don’t want to do something, don’t do it. There’s no use forcing yourself to do something you clearly don’t want to. You’re not doing yourself any favors, and that ‘something’ clearly isn’t a priority either. So let it go.
9. Avoid triggers.
If something bothers you and you’ve noticed a pattern to it, about how it affects you emotionally or mentally, avoid it. Nothing good comes from hurting yourself with these. Distract yourself from these triggers and do something that takes your mind off of it.
10. Read one of your favorite books – again.
You must have a favorite book, I’m sure. Reread it, and it’s sure to lift your spirits up. There’s something comforting about revisiting same old characters, same old stories, same old setting, same old endings. Reading a favorite ought to elevate your mood. Unless, your favorite book is a horror where everybody dies, except for the old witch!
11. Take a day off from all kinds of media.
Social media, gadgets, anything electronic in short, are out of bounds. Give yourself 24 hours free from these technological distractions. Take a break. You’ll definitely feel calmer and more in control of your emotions and thoughts.
12. Do yoga.
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Yoga is not your regular garden variety workout, but a practice that centers your mind, body, and soul. Yoga is super beneficial for your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Try it and see for yourself.
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13. Exercise.
Running, walking, jogging, lifting weights, or any other type of workout that gets your heart racing and your blood pumping, you should do it. Exercise is known release endorphins into your bloodstream, and is known to elevate your mood. Endorphins are called happy hormones, and you should trust them to elevate your mood.
14. Take a hot bath.
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Go the whole distance with this one, and pamper yourself to the nines. Scented bath salts, scented candles, soft, soothing music, wine, and you soaking in a tub filled with bubbles and relaxing hot water. Stay there till the water gets cold. Don’t feel guilty about wasting so much water, because you deserve this.
15. Listen to soothing music.
Create a playlist which contains soothing, relaxing music. Instrumentals are the best for this purpose. Piano, harp, flute, violin – anything that soothes and calms your mind ought to be on that playlist.
16. Spend time with a person you’re close with.
Whether it’s a family member or a close friend, spend time with them. Shoot the breeze or spill what’s on your mind, just do it. If you don’t want to talk, watch a movie, go on a hike, or stroll through a park. Get out of your head and your house and spend time with another human being.
17. Take a nap.
Nap time was a drudge during childhood, but now that you’re an adult, it’s manna from heaven! Indulge yourself and take a nap in the middle of the day. You deserve it; you deserve to escape into slumberland when you don’t want to, but need to.
18. Spend time in a place that holds special meaning to you.
It could be a religious place, or a monument in your city, or even your front porch – just as long as it holds some meaning to you, and brings solace to you, go there and spend some time. You’ll come away feeling calmer and centered than when you went there.
19. Write down your thoughts.
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Whatever is going on in your head, just write it all down. Put pen to paper and start writing. Not many people know this, but writing your feelings, your thoughts, your emotions, is very therapeutic for you. It’s a healthy way of letting out your frustrations in life and in your situation.
20. Pet an animal.
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If you’re an animal lover, cuddle a pet. Cuddling an animal is known to be super beneficial for your mental well-being. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of stories of people being saved and pulled back from a brink by their beloved pets. It’s very therapeutic. Just give it a shot, and you won’t regret it.
21. Get a good night’s sleep.
That too regularly. Regular sleep should figure on the top on your list of things to do when learning how to take care of yourself. A good night’s sleep will make you feel rejuvenated and relaxed, and ready to take on the situation with renewed vigor. For a full night’s sleep, it’s essential that you keep a regular sleep pattern though.
22. Take a day off work, if you need to.
Everyone has those days when they feel overwhelmed and want to take a mental health day. A day where you’re taking an off from work, not due to some physical illness, but for the well-being of your mind. If it gets to be too much, take off from work. It’s okay.
23. Spend time outside.
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It’s easy to fall into a pattern and forget what the world has to offer. Take a break, get outside, and enjoy your surroundings. Go for a stroll, or sit on a swing and sway, or even look up at the sky and the millions of stars strewn overhead. Just remember that this too shall pass, and it’s only temporarily that you’re feeling this way. That you’re going to be OKAY. Really, totally, utterly, and completely.
24. Try to eat healthy.
Healthy eating habits are essential for a fit body, as it is for your mental well-being. However, it’s okay to indulge in your guilty pleasure once in a while too. After all, you only live once, and where’s the fun in following the rules ALL the time!
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25. Just breathe.
Sit in a comfortable place and just breathe. In and out. In and out. Concentrate on your inhalations and exhalations. Imagine the air entering your body through your nostrils, down into your lungs, and then exhale, the same route. Not only will this help you center your mind, you will feel calmer and more relaxed than before this exercise.
How to take care of yourself? It’s not easy, but it’s essential, when you need it the most. If you don’t care for yourself, it’s not going to get any easier. Focus on self-care first, and then focus on other things. YOU DESERVE IT!
Featured image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
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