The Importance of Self-Care
You’re sitting in the office, your radio beeps with the sound of the next incoming call, or perhaps you are at home with your children..who seem ever-more rambunctious than usual. Your calendar is jam-packed with events, whether it be; scheduled overtime or mutuals that your owe, the welcoming of a new child, a wedding, birthday, fundraiser or your child’s school function or soccer game. You cannot wait for that upcoming trip, the one with the white sand and beachy cocktail- and yet it seems, so so SO far away! So, how do you make room for all these things? You overwork, cancel your yoga class or skip the gym, cut back on socializing, and maybe you decide that lunch, breakfast or dinner can wait.
To keep up with this sort of living…we put self-care on the backburner. The problem is- we often then find ourselves run-down, stressed or perhaps even ill. I cannot stress the GOLD that a little self-care can bring into your life. After all, self-care is essential for our physical, emotional and mental well-being.
Do you find yourself saying, “I don’t have time for all of that, I have to take care of my [insert family member/friend/relative here].” Well, to be frank, if you plan on being around to do those things, you may want to consider putting your health/needs/sanity first sometimes.
Work-Life Balance: Whether you’re a stay at home mom, a working parent, a fireman/police officer/emergency responder over-indulging in that OT, a single-adult….this tip remains the same! Have you ever taken a moment to reflect upon the impact that “overworking” has on your productivity? Your relationships with your loved ones? Overworking can lead us to experience more stress, physical exhaustion and mental exhaustion. Please do take your lunch to replenish yourselves for the rest of the day. Those notes, that inventory, that mess your children made- will all still be there when you are done, I promise. This is OKAY!
Here is a short and sweet list to get you started in the daily practice of self-care:
Schedule the time. Write it down if you have to! We schedule all sorts of things in our daily lives, why shouldn’t we schedule time to care for ourselves? I have found that scheduling time to practice self-care increases the likelihood of carrying out the activity. Simple, yet effective.
Try a meditation or mindfulness app! These are great and they will guide you all the way through. Meditation has been shown to decrease stress, anxiety and this in turn- has a positive impact on or physical health as well. Mindfulness has also been shown to improve focus!
Something naturally green on every plate of the day. Too busy to make a salad? Grab a salad kit and that pyrex and be on your way! For breakfast… green smoothies are a go-to and though they don’t look it, they can be delicious! No one likes to spend precious morning time making smoothies, so do yourself a favor and pack up the blender the night before!
Go for a run/jog or walk. This takes relatively little time and can make all of the difference in how we feel emotionally and how our bodies feel.
Call/talk to someone who puts a smile on your face. Laugh a little.
Take a yoga class
Try progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). You can find plenty of PMR exercises with a quick google search.
Remember that book you were enjoying and put down because you didn’t have the time? Pick it back up!
Adult coloring.
Get a haircut or schedule some pampering for the day!
Choose who you spend time with.
Engage in an activity you love!
And lastly, take a break when you need it.
Wishing you strength and kindness to put yourself first,
Katie