When was the last time that you chose to do something for yourself? We don many roles in life – a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a co-worker, and a caregiver, to name a few. But more often than not, we find ourselves giving more and more. We choose to put the needs of others above ours. What happens when we do that? Sooner or later, you will reach what we call emotional fatigue. Before you reach that phase, make self-care a habit. Did I catch you thinking, “How to practice self care?”
Self-care can take many different forms, depending on an individual’s needs and preferences. The trick is not to get overwhelmed. You’ll notice that some tips are pretty doable and easy to follow. Whether you want to divide it into doable tasks as daily, weekly or monthly is a choice you can make.
How to practice self care
Let’s look at some easy ways to practice self-care. What is important is that you need to start!
Rest: Sometimes, your body screams out loud to you that it needs rest. Please don’t ignore it. Permit yourself to do what your body needs to do. If it means taking a nap in the afternoon to help you feel rejuvenated, do that. If you want to gather your thoughts, do that. But rest.
Dress up: Even if it is once a week, I make it a point to dress up like I would when going to work and tackle the day. Working from home made me stock up on comfy tees and PJs because there was no going to work. Break that routine if you are like me.
Do one thing at a time: When walking, walk. When eating, eat. In a world where we have been made to believe that multi-tasking is the key to thriving, you need to step back. Follow the rule of doing one thing at a time. And when you do it, do it with complete focus. If you work with multiple clients, this technique allows you to focus on one client at a given duration.
Exercise multiple times a week: With busy schedules, finding time to exercise every day can be tricky. But, if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, it will cause health issues as you grow older. Start small, but start. It can be as simple as clocking in 5000 steps a day. Find that daunting? Start with four times a week, and increase it as time passes.
Did you like these self-care tips? It is time to work on making positive habits part of the routine. Let us know the tips you like and what you will follow. Need accountability? Leave a comment, and I will follow up with you!
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