8 Best Self-care ideas: Stress relief activities won’t help you if you don’t take care of yourself. The steps you have taken to stay healthy won’t help you if you aren’t getting enough sleep. So, if you need to take care of yourself, you must focus on all the areas that will help you care for yourself.
8 Best Self-care Ideas:
What is the meaning of Self-Care? Activities that we do to maintain the balance of our mental, emotional, and physical health is called Self-care. In simple terms, self-care is taking care of ourselves in all possible ways.
Most of our time in a day is consumed by work commitments, family, and other responsibilities, which get us physically exhausted and emotionally detached from ourselves. We are mostly not planning our 24 hours in a day properly; As a result, we feel even more nervous about getting things done on time.
When overwhelmed with responsibility, we forget to take care of ourselves, which further deteriorates our health and affects our productivity throughout the day. By taking care of yourself first, you are aware of your own needs. Thus, making you feel confident throughout the day. This, in turn, will help you to take care of your family too.
The different dimensions of self-care activities for a healthy mind, body, and spirit are given below:
1. Habit Recognization:
Recognize the habits and actions that make you feel happy. We all strive to be happy and healthy. According to psychologists, there are many small things you can do that will significantly impact your overall well-being. That might be anything, such as a reading book, cycling, swimming, or simply gazing up at nature. But remember, happiness is something we all have to work on continuously. The happiness habit is developed by simply practicing happy thinking.
“Beauty is everywhere. We only have to look to see it.”
2. Avoid Toxic people:
Avoid toxic people at all times: When you are in the best mood when your day is going fantastic, suddenly, a person appears. The one you always tried to avoid due to their character doesn’t have to ruin your life. When you know they are toxic and can destroy your happiness, try not to pay attention to them and leave the place immediately if possible. You cannot expect positive results by hanging around with negative people.
If they are in your workplace or school, then remember toxic people can ruin your peace and happiness, but only if you let them. When someone is toxic, remember it’s not about you. It’s a reflection of their inner state. Toxic people will not let you grow or be happy. Try the below-given tips to get rid of toxic people:
- Identify toxic people: If a relationship with people brings you down significantly instead of building you up, then it’s high time to let them go.
- Set limits: If you told yourself you wouldn’t respond to their texts, then don’t. Stick with the principle. Block them on all social media and their numbers on your phone and Whatsapp. Please don’t send them any emails and don’t check anything for a few months. Be very clear with the person about your intentions, then keep the necessary distance from them.
- Focus on the positive: Try to switch your thoughts to solutions or more favorable situations consciously. Toxic people don’t deserve your mental energy. Surround yourself with positive and confident people who will give as much as you do.
3. Watch Comedy shows:
Watch funny shows that leave you feeling more relaxed. An old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,” is an undeniable fact. Watch funny shows, series, or feel-good movies which will make your heart and mind feel good. Nothing is better than laughing until your jaw hurts. You feel like you can escape into their world, and most importantly, you can binge them for hours of continuous good vibes.
4. Be Alone:
Spend time with yourself: Enjoying life and being successful starts with having a good relationship with yourself. Spending time with yourself, noticing your best parts and weaknesses, is a chance to see the light within around, to move forward to what you really want. Spending time alone is the truly best way to relax the stress. Being alone sometimes can be rejuvenating, but the essential variables are choosing something you enjoy.
The Benefits of Being Alone:
- Improves concentration and memory.
- Makes your interest a priority.
- Boosts creativity.
- Improves your relationships.
- It makes you more productive and empathetic.
5. Schedule Sleep:
Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule. Your behaviors during the day, especially before bedtime, can significantly impact your sleep.
To establish healthy sleep habits:
- Keep a consistent sleep schedule: Try to schedule your sleep; it doesn’t matter what work you are doing and how busy you are. If you plan your bedtime at 10 pm, then hit it without fail. By following healthy sleep habits, your mind and body become accustomed to a routine that promotes quality sleep.
- Set a bedtime earlier: You need to make gradual shifts rather than sudden changes. Begin with new target bedtime. E.g., if you typically go to bed at 10 pm but want to be in bed by 9 pm, start going to bed at 9:45 pm for the first seven days. On days 8-12, go to bed at 9:30 pm. On days 12-16, go to bed at 9:15 pm, and so on. You will feel more adjusted to going to bed earlier and waking up earlier in a few weeks.
- Establish a relaxing bedtime routine: Listening to music will help you sleep. The music genre isn’t essential, as long as the music soothes you. Just close your eyes, dwell into the music world and let it distract you from worries and calm you down. Deep breathing exercises or muscle stretch techniques can help you let go of physical and mental tension.
- Minimize exposure to bright light in the evenings: Light is the most important external factor affecting sleep. Try to use lightproof window curtains that can blackout external light and keep your sleeping room as dark as possible, promoting good sleep.
- Turn off electric devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime: Engaging with your phone too close to bedtime can negatively impact your peaceful sleep. If you struggle with limiting screen time before bed, try putting your phone in a different room. We need to control devices rather than letting them control us.
- Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime: Nutritionists recommend that the time between your last meal and sleep should be about 3 hours. This allows digestion to occur and the contents of your stomach to move into your small intestine. This may prevent problems like heartburn at night and even insomnia.
- Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime: Avoid water intake before bedtime. It can contribute to sleeping problems. It may result in frequent urination at night, known as Nocturia, which can interrupt sleep. Nocturia can be problematic for people who struggle to fall back asleep after getting up from bed.
6. Show Gratitude:
Write down a list of things that you are the most grateful for: People often focus and worry about what they don’t have instead of appreciating what they do have. It’s essential to take time out and remember everything to be thankful for that many of us take for granted.
7. Unplug Social Media:
Unplug yourself from social media for a couple of hours. See how you feel when you do. There are both good and bad in the technology inventions. Social media are a necessary aspect that brings all of us closer. At the same time, it also drags us farther apart. They hurt our relationships, suck up our time, damage our confidence, hurt happiness, and kill our self-esteem.
Disconnecting yourself from your social profiles, even if it is just for a little while is a positive step that can add to your happiness and your productivity.
8. Write Journal:
Invest your time to write a journal: Journaling is no longer old-fashioned or just for folks of a specific older and wiser age. It’s something you need to do now. Yep, it is true. Journaling does more than help you record your memories or find self-expression. It’s good for your health.
Incredible Benefits of Writing Journal:
- Journaling strengthens your immune system.
- It helps your mental injuries heal faster.
- It reduces your stress and anxiety.
- It helps you learn from your experience.
- Improves your communication skills.
- It enables you to sleep better.
- It improves your memory and mood.
- Journaling helps you move towards your goals.
- It reduces symptoms of depression.
“AN EMPTY TANK WILL TAKE YOU NOWHERE. TAKE TIME TO REFUEL”
I hope you liked the points listed above, Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments sections.
Leave a Reply