Anna Maria Richards
Self-care is important, even though you might think you don’t have time for it. After all, your family needs you, your job needs you, and there isn’t a whole lot left after you’ve taken care of all those things. You’ll have more to give to both your family and your job if you do some self-care, but that’s not even the most important reason to do it. You should practice self-care because you deserve it, just as everyone does.
Make a Small Change
Self-care shouldn’t feel like self-denial. Try to focus on small changes that will make you feel better instead of big changes that you will struggle to keep up. For example, instead of quitting smoking, you might want to switch to vaping. This is a pleasurable way to cut back on your smoking while still enjoying yourself. Having one of the best overall vaporizers you can get is the Mighty vaporizer by Storz & Bickel to get you started.
Tell a Positive Story
We all tell ourselves stories about our lives and what happens to us day to day. What is your story about? You can create a narrative that is about all the things that are wrong with your life and how they are out of your control, or one in which you are incompetent and have put yourself in a situation you don’t like. Alternately, you can tell yourself a story about the things you have overcome and the challenges you are currently facing that you can still rise to meet. Be kind to yourself. Talk about yourself the way that you would talk about a good friend, and when your thoughts about yourself turn negative, shift them onto a kinder track.
Prioritize You-Time
This can be one of the hardest things to do. Being someone who has intuitive self-care habits is rare. You probably make time for everyone in your life except yourself. You may not have time to go away for the weekend or even take an hour a day, but you can probably take 15 or 20 minutes. Think of it the same way you do showering or eating if you have to, a necessity that you can’t avoid no matter how busy you are. What you do with that time is up to you. It could be something like meditating or journaling, but if you just want to spend the time watching videos online, you can do that too.
Go Outside
You could potentially combine this with the you-time. Unless the weather is truly extreme, try to get outside a little every day. Exposure to natural light helps your body clock, and time outside helps renew and refresh your spirit.
Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
Struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep at night? If so, you’re like a lot of other people, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Try to practice good sleep hygiene. This means preparing to go to bed 30 to 60 minutes ahead of time. Shutting off screens and trying to do something relaxing in this time is important. Try to create a ritual, like turning down the lights and listening to relaxing music, that signals to your body that it’s time for sleep
