Self-care is all the rage right now.
Why? It’s probably because just a few years ago, it was thought of as cool to be extremely busy. Being really busy with work, family, friends and other interests earned bragging rights. But eventually, burnout, demotivation and exhaustion set in, and being busy wasn’t trendy anymore.
Self-care can be seen as the solution in the hangover of the busy era. It’s important to remember that self-care isn’t selfish. Engaging in acts of self-care doesn’t mean that you’re losing out on productivity. On the contrary, practicing self-care activities can actually help you function better in your everyday life.
The benefits of self-care can enable you to continue performing at a high level. They include:
- Preventing you from reaching the point of burnout
- Reducing the negative effects of stress
- Helping you to refocus your attention and abilities
So what are some easy ways to regularly practice self-care? Find a few from my personal repertoire below.
- Walking as much as I can, with a goal of 10,000 steps a day
- Drinking two litres of water every day
- Working out, whether it’s at the gym or a yoga class, at home with a fitness app, or outdoors for a run or cycle
- Walking the dog
- Cooking a delicious or healthy meal using a new recipe
- Going to bed early
- Using my vacation days from work
- Catching up with a friend
- Enjoying a fun activity with my family, not related to chores or an errand
- Reading a book or listening to a podcast, with my phone on airplane mode
Do any of these sound appealing?
Once you’ve decided on your roster of self-care activities, remember my steps for making self-care count. Without these steps, listed below, something that you do for self-care purposes could instead just feel like simply crossing an item off your to-do list!
Step 1: Pick an activity that you genuinely enjoy.
Step 2: Be mindful of your feelings (both emotional and physical) while you’re doing it
Step 3: After, reflect on how much better you feel.
What are your favourite ways to practice self-care? Share in the comments.
Image credits: Laine Bodnar; Pixabay.com.
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