SELF CARE TIPS TO BOOST YOUR WELL-BEING
Self-care is a lifestyle. Self-care is not selfish but is something we all deserve. It is about listening to yourself, your body, your mind and your feelings. Its about experiencing joy as well as setting boundaries. An empty lantern doesn’t provide any light. Self care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly, making you more productive, and boosts your immune system .
Brianne West said true self care is not bath salts and chocolate cake. Its making the choice to build a life you don’t need to escape from.
Self-care ideas to promote health, happiness and harmony:
Physical Self care
Lot of people associate self-care with expensive appointments to the salon or strenuous exercise. Well physical self-care is far beyond the idea of just pampering your bodies. We need to understand that body and mind have a unique relationship.
Few self-care ideas for your physical health :
- Give your body 10 mins of mindful attention
- Keep an exercise routine, -it could be anything a simple walk, stretching, yoga or the gym- the endorphins relased due to exercise reduce stress and improves your mood
- Try eliminating processed food from your diet gradually
- Make a small improvement or change to your diet, by making it more healthy for a week and see the difference in your energy level
- Have a power nap during the day, just 10 mins will do the trick
- Get atleast 6-8 hours of sleep daily- it will make you feel more focused and improve your wellbeing
- Oxygenate by taking deep breaths.
- Give your body a sensorial treat by applying a body lotion or scrub
- Light some scented candles, essential oils or incense
- Plan your meals and cook healthy food
- Take care of your gut health, have mindful eating
- Enjoy the sunlight and the moon, be with nature for sometime.
Take care of your body- it’s the only place you have to live all your life.
EMOTIONAL SELF CARE TIPS
Your emotions make you human. Even the unpleasant ones have a purpose. If you ignore them , they just get louder and take a physical form. So lets learn how to take care of them and not disregard them through these simple ideas.
- First step is self -awareness- the ability to recognize and understand your emotions that you are experiencing- without any judgment or guilt
- Treat yourself with kindness and care- the way you would respond to a child or a loved one in distress.
- Cultivate the habit to practice gratitude-focus on the positive experiences and appreciate the good things
- Watch something that suits your mood- or do the opposite and change it.
- Talk to positive people , hug, laugh, enjoy
- Practice mindfulness -become more aware of what you are feeling, doing and thinking
- Practice using positive affirmations
- Fix a small annoyance that you have been procrastinating
- Colour in an adult coloring book
- Compliment others easily- at least two people daily
- Spend at least 15 minutes doing whatever you enjoy, daily
- Set yourself a reminder on the phone with a nice compliment
- Slowdown your breathing- pause
Taking care of your emotions will make you feel better, and the better you feel , the better you would be in all areas of your life. So take care and take control.
Social Self Care
Social self care means relationships with regular connections and healthy boundaries. If you are able to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself, you transmit the good feelings to others.
- Learn to say no, stand up for yourself
- Commit to one social activity a week.
- Belong to at least three groups or communities outside of work
- Spend time with people who make you feel good-
- Having meaningful conversations with people we love can help give us a sense of purpose
- Engage in healthy social media- limit your time
- Have a social media detox- Un-follow anyone who makes you feel annoyed or upset and mute any posts that irritate you.
- focus on real life social interactions without distractions
- Ask for help when you need it
- Meet new people as well as catch up with old friends
- Honor your commitments to other people i.e. do what you say
- Avoid toxic people and relationships
- Random acts of kindness – even smiling at a stranger or offering your seat, giving gifts, volunteering, donating to charities improves your mental health and boosts our happiness.
Close connections are an important part of our wellbeing giving us a feeling of connectedness and belongingness. Treasure them.
Intellectual Self care-cultivate a healthy mindset by these steps
As Ralf Emerson said, all life is an experiment- the more experiments you make the better.
- Complete puzzles, do crosswords or sudoku, play chess, scrabble,
- Be mindful of the world around you- take notice
- Tap your creative/ artistic side
- Practice a new skill or hobby
- Read a motivational /self help book
- Take another route to work
- Change up the way you make decisions
- Pay attention to something you usually do in autopilot
- Get out of your comfort zone by trying something new
- Read inspiring quotes, listen to positive podcasts, follow my insta handle and you tube channel
- Simplify your schedule
- Try something new-maybe join a new course
- Watch documentaries , listen to podcasts or read a book
- Do nothing- set aside some time to do nothing in particular can be so good for clearing your head and taking away stress.
Its all about making smart, healthy and wise choices. Start where you are, use what you have and do what you can.