You have all heard me talk over and over about self-care and why it’s so important. Because IT IS!
And here are some more things you can put into practice.
FIRST……WHAT IS SELF-CARE?
It’s silly I know. We should all know what it is, however its different for everyone. And a lot of people don’t even understand the concept of it. While the concept of self-care isn’t new to most, it has grown more popular in recent years. Advocates championing open discussions on mental health often advise others to have good self-care practices.
However, like most things in life, implementing self-care into your routine is easier said than done.
We’ve all heard the saying “treat others the way you would like to be treated,” but let’s also adopt the saying, “treat yourself the way you would treat your best friend.” We give the people in our lives our love, time, and energy. We lend them an ear to talk to and a shoulder to cry on. And yet, when it comes to ourselves, we take shortcuts and skip steps in our journey to wellness, dismissing our own feelings and problems.
Self-care is the countermovement to this behavior. It’s about making your well-being a priority. Self-care practices are not acts of learning to be more selfish, but rather, acts of learning more about yourself and taking the time necessary to improve your mood and circumstance.
Chances are, you may already have an inkling of how you can care for yourself better. But for those of you who don’t know where to start, here are some helpful self-care practices to try this year.
MAKE TIME FOR YOUR PASSIONS
You don’t need a degree in Psychology to know that doing something you love can improve your mood and health. Hobbies bring us joy and allow us to redirect negative energy. They help us “unwind” and relax. People so often lose themselves in their work or schoolwork, forgetting to take time to explore their passions and interests. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn a new language or how to draw, but the timing just never seemed right. But instead of waiting around for a hypothetical time that may never come, why not just start now?
BE MORE POSITIVE
Another good self-care practice is to realign your way of thinking and to keep a positive attitude. If you struggle with negative thoughts, try keeping a gratitude log. A gratitude log can help shave off negative energy, by guiding you to find something to be thankful for, even on rainy days. An affirmation log is another excellent tool you can use to fight negativity. Stop telling yourself what you can’t do and write down what you can and will. Proclaim your goals and your mantras confidently and remind yourself of them every day, and soon, you’ll believe in them.
PRIORITIZE YOUR HEALTH BEFORE YOU’RE SICK
Sometimes self-care is doing the things you don’t want to do but know are beneficial to your well-being, like going to therapy or the dentist. People so easily neglect their mental and physical health, especially in stressful periods of their lives. Arguably, this is when you should value your wellbeing the most. Stop waiting for yourself to get sick before you care about your health. Make your wellness a priority by being proactive and preventative.
START A MORNING ROUTINE
Make your mornings for you. Schedule time for yourself in the mornings and treat it as seriously as you would an important meeting. If you aren’t a morning person, trust me, you aren’t alone. To be honest, I wasn’t a morning person for a long time in my life, now I feel like it’s the best part of my day because I have created this wonderful morning routine for myself. Establishing a morning routine is an extremely beneficial self-care practice. Mornings set your intention and attitude for the rest of day. It sets the tone for how your day is going to play out. Some great activities to partake in the morning are meditation and writing in your journal. Both activities offer clarity and reflection, as well as a chance to release whatever you’ve been carrying with you the day before, such as anxieties, stress, and conflicts. Meditation and journaling give you the opportunity to check in with yourself, destress, and create a sanctuary for your thoughts.
TREAT YOURSELF
This last self-care practice is the most fun to partake in. Buy yourself those shoes you’ve been eyeing, a monthly subscription box curated around your hobbies, or a nice dinner. Just don’t overdo it (having a lengthy phone call with the IRS or local electric company, is the opposite of self-care.) Treating yourself doesn’t have to be a luxury. It doesn’t even have to be monetary. You can bake yourself cookies or read a book you already have. There’s no right or wrong way to show yourself affection.
GIVE YOURSELF THE ATTENTION YOU DESERVE THIS YEAR
Whether it’s “treating yourself” or finding a new hobby, good self-care practices are incredibly beneficial to your health and wellness. So, as this year just gets started, aim to prioritize your needs and care for yourself a little better.
Set yourself up for success. Make yourself priority #1. You matter. You count. You are amazing.
If after reading this you are still thinking, “Oh goodness, when am I going to fit this in” or “I don’t have time”. Yes you do. You chose to not have time. You have 10 min, 5 min or even 2 min, each day, where you are putzing around. YES calling you out, you are putzing. You’re scrolling aimlessly on Facebook, playing Candy Crush, or watching TikTok videos. You could really be spending that time focusing on yourself, loving on yourself, taking care of yourself, mind, body and spirit.
If you are looking for that time to be with yourself, (PLUG HERE) I belong to this amazing virtual workspace called OPWP (On Purpose with Purpose) where we come together to get shit done. We all hold each other lovingly and supportively accountable. We have 72 hours in a month where you can come and work on yourself and or your business (if you are a business owner). They are called action hours, where you can take action in the places you need to. The reason I plug this is, ONE-Its ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. And TWO-I host one of these hours. And guess what the hour is……its……wait for it…….LOVE action hour. Where you can come and LOVE on yourself and or your business for an hour. One whole hour to yourself. That’s amazing.
You can come and experience how it works on Sunday, Tuesdays or Thursdays 2 pm CST, or come visit my hour which is on Mondays 9 am CST, Wednesdays 8 am CST or Fridays 9 am CST. Reach out to me for the Zoom link to join.
And if you are interested in hearing more about this first, like I said you can reach out to me today www.lizalomax.com or check out their website opwp.today
Now go forth and love on yourself first!!
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