Are you taking good care of yourself, or are you simply busy taking care of others around you?
Balancing all the different roles, working from home, taking care of the kids - their needs and school work, in addition to doing all the household chores can take a toll on your mental and physical wellbeing. Only when you take care of yourself can you really care for others. This includes body, mind and spirit, that is your needs at the physical, emotional, mental, relational and spiritual levels. Practicing self-care isn’t easy, with so many things to do on a daily basis. But it is very important and warrants some time allocated for it each day. You could have a whole list of things ready and do something, at least one thing, every day that help you fill your cup of energy.
Here are a few things to help:
1. Sleep is one of the most important things you can gift yourself. Do try and get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Nothing helps reset and replenish our body, energy and nervous system like sleep does.
2. Exercise – If we can do even 20 minutes of brisk walking everyday it can be a great addition to our routine. But if we feel a paucity of time to do that, just see how you can build it into your routine. For example, take the stairs up three or four floors instead of waiting for the lift, walk or cycle to the grocery store instead of taking the car out. Simple things where you just need to make small adjustments to your daily schedule.
3. Eat Healthy – Be mindful of foods that make you feel energetic and add more of that. Remove foods that make you feel lethargic or low. Try and add more salads and whole meals into your daily diet.
4. Learn to say NO – This is a big one. Assertiveness or saying NO when your plate is already full is a very important part of self-care. It is ok to say no even to people you love. It is more important for you to take care of your own needs, you need to rest, recuperate, unwind.
Start with these simple self-care practices and build more as you go on. Drop your experience and comments down below
Happy caring for yourself!
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