3 SECRETS TO SUCCESSFUL SELF CARE

June 24, 2019

Self-care sounds like a no-brainer. While self-care is a popular topic, it’s rarely explained thoroughly. Self-care is more than eating healthy and having proper hygiene, though those are components and important ones. The concept really boils down to making your mental and physical health a priority.

Once you get the whole picture, you’d be surprised what essential elements of self-care you’re neglecting. Here are three crucial self-care tasks you can take on today.

Redefine R&R

Many people wait to press the pause button. A key component of self-care, rest and relaxation should be at the top of your daily to-do list. R&R can easily be peppered into your day-to-day routine by:

• Taking a technology-free walk in nature. Researchers at Stanford University found that walking in nature can result in a lowered risk of depression.
• Not taking your phone to bed. The blue light emitted from phones, tablets, and laptops is one of the major culprits behind sleep issues. 
• Reading a book or a magazine. Set up a special area in your home and get lost in your imagination.

Get adventurous

People often get stagnant, stuck in the same old routines that can make life feel like you’re simply treading water. Trying something new ignites our life. Even something as simple as trying a new recipe, taking a different route to work, or rearranging your furniture can have a positive impact. You can also try:

• Going on an outdoor activity, like kayaking, stand-up paddle or biking.
• Taking a solo trip, even just for a weekend.
• Starting a new hobby, like taking a painting class or dancing lessons.

Reduce stress in and outside your home

Our modern lives are filled with stress.For some people, stress is something they shake off during a hard workout. Others have a more fragile relationship with stress. For them, stress management is vital to reducing or eliminating dangerous triggers. In either way, you can improve the way you manage stress by:

• Trying a restorative yoga class—or follow along with free online videos. Restorative yoga is all about stretching, loosening tight muscles and focusing on slow, deep breaths.
• Taking meditation. Whether you dedicate 10-20 minutes every morning or squeeze in 5 minutes of deep breathing, meditation can restore your inner peace.
• Declutter your home. Studies have shown that clutter reduces focus, which in turn causes frustration. 
• Saying no. It’s okay to tell someone you can’t do something, especially if you are already feeling overwhelmed. 

Just like any new habit, practice makes perfect. You may not get to all your self-care goals every day, but keep at it until it becomes a regular part of your life. Pick two or three goals and work on them one day at a time to see lifelong results.

Brad Krause

Writer/Owner

brad@selfcaring.info
selfcaring.info/

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