Self-care involves daily prioritization of your body, mind, and soul. To keep a healthy relationship with yourself that boosts confidence, self-esteem, happiness and promotes self-love, you must embrace self-care. Most times, we do not acknowledge the significance of self-care in all aspects of our lives until we’ve reached a breaking point where we get physically sick or experience a mental breakdown.
Practicing self-care is not a walk in the park because most of us are too busy to create time for ourselves out of our stressful jobs. Sometimes we even feel guilty for attempting to set some time apart for ourselves, forgetting that it’s not selfish at all to prioritize ourselves; we are only empowering ourselves. Below are several tips on how you can promote self-care:
1. Say no to everyone and yes to self-care.
It is not easy to refuse pleas from friends and family requesting your energy and time. Sometimes you’re very stressed, anxious, and even tired from work but you don’t want to let them down. So, learn how to politely decline and say no. Practice makes perfect; the more you do it, the more you will begin to feel confident in choosing yourself unapologetically, and more often. This will help you set boundaries, better manage your time for self-care, and less room for stress.
2. Schedule your self-care time and protect it with all you’ve got.
Moments alone can help you think of self-care activities to strategically implement in your life, helping you move forward steadily and stay rooted. Even if you choose to take a hot bath, a long walk, or enjoy a good film, taking time for self-care is vital. Make sure you search for activities that you enjoy and can be easily included into your daily living to help you handle life’s chaos with grace.
3. Read a book about self-care.
Nowadays, we turn to technology for entertainment, which primarily increases our stress levels rather than reducing them. In a recent study from the Associate of Consumer Research1, evidence suggests that the presence of our smartphone comes at a cognitive cost, limiting our cognitive ability to perform other tasks, and can interfere with our sleep, attention span, and memory. Take some time off your gadgets and embrace books that are dedicated to improving your health and wellbeing. According to researchers at the University of Sussex, six minutes of reading can lower up to 68% of stress levels; reading helps shift your focus and concentration to the book at hand instead of your stressors. You will be mesmerized at the change you will feel rather than always turning to your phone.
4. Eat healthily to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health.
We’re all aware that the types of foods we consume effects our physically health, but you may not know, it also contributes to our mental alertness. Consuming healthy foods help us prevent partial amnesia and inflammation. According to Dr. Francine Grodstein2, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, diets high in cholesterol and fat speeds up beta-amyloid plaque in the brain which can be found in people with Alzheimer’s. To improve your mental health, eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, together with foods high in omega-3, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines. Dark leafy green veggies are precisely proactive for the brain. Seeds, nuts, and legumes such as lentils and beans are recommendable as brain foods.
5. Choose wisely who you spend time with.
Fitness, friendship, and self-care are intertwined; energy from the people around you is very infectious, therefore if the company you keep reeks of negativity, they might deplete you of positivity. As expressed by motivational speaker Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” We may not realize this but some people, no matter how close or essential they are to us, drain our mental energy. Take time and think of the people you spend your time with: How do they help you? Do they challenge you positively to be a better person? Do they help you strive to accomplish your goals in life? Do they make you happy? If not, please avoid their company. You may also consider if you could be the bad friend that does not contribute positively to others; if so, reassess your actions and think of how you can be a better friend.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
6. Get enough sleep.
Getting enough sleep is essential for self-care; however, stress and other factors may render this impossible. Ponder on your nightly activities and evaluate your bedtime routine to improve your quality of sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation guidelines3, you need 7-9 hours of sleep daily, and if you deprive yourself of sleep, it eventually becomes sleep debt; your body will demand you pay back what you owe.
To fall asleep in a timely manner, it is vital to reduce your stress levels. If you have job-related issues, think of ways to resolve them like requesting less workload. Otherwise, take a deep breath and count backward from ten to calm yourself down and turn to the bigger picture: your wellbeing.
7. Try adaptogens.
When all fails, seek natural herbal solutions with ingredients like ashwagandha and ginseng, known as an adaptogen, to help your body handle stress. Other herbal remedies for anxiety suggested by Dr. Brent A. Bauer4, a professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School, include kava, passionflower, valerian, chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm.
Sometimes we might mistake self-care for self-indulgence. It is important to note that self-indulgence has deleterious consequences. Otherwise, self-care is essential, and it helps you rekindle your spirit and allows you to serve others from abundance; you can’t pour from an empty cup. Self-care is not a leisure activity; it is a necessity and a priority in everything we do.
References
- Ward, Adrian F., et al. “Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity.” Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 1 Apr. 2017, www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/691462.
- Publishing, Harvard Health. “Boost Your Memory by Eating Right.” Harvard Health, 2 Aug. 2012, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/boost-your-memory-by-eating-right.
- Hirshkowitz M;Whiton K;Albert SM;Alessi C;Bruni O;DonCarlos L;Hazen N;Herman J;Katz ES;Kheirandish-Gozal L;Neubauer DN;O’Donnell AE;Ohayon M;Peever J;Rawding R;Sachdeva RC;Setters B;Vitiello MV;Ware JC;Adams Hillard PJ; “National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep Time Duration Recommendations: Methodology and Results Summary.” Sleep Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29073412/.
- Brent A. Bauer, M.D. “Herbal Treatment for Anxiety: Is It Effective?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2 Mar. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/expert-answers/herbal-treatment-for-anxiety/faq-20057945.
