The most common statement I hear when I bring up self care is, “When would I ever find time to do that?!?” There is this terrible myth about self care that it has to be a full day of silence at the spa with people waiting on you. (I’m overdramatizing here). And if this was the definition of self care- no one would have time for that. But I can tell you, from someone with an incredibly busy life, that you can find time to take care of yourself.
Honestly, if you don’t take the little moments to do self care, you will find that all aspects start to crumble quickly. So with keeping to the concept that maintenance is easier than a full rebuild- here is some quick and simple ways to fit self care into each day.
Simple Self Care
-Complete a stagnant task on your to-do list. There comes a feeling of satisfaction when we complete something that we need to do. Or if nothing else, we don’t have to get negative feelings when we see that we have put off the offal task once more.
– Take a different route to work/school/grocery store. Once we start to get into a routine we can find yourself ‘autopiloting’ repetitive tasks. We stop looking around and paying attention to the smaller details around us. By taking a different route we break free of this zoned out state and start looking around again.
-Go cloud or star watching. This can consist of only a moment of looking up, but we are trying to get you out of your repetitive thoughts and into a more mindful state.
– Fix a small annoyance that is nagging at you. For example, if your family simply puts their electronics wherever they please with cords and accessories strun about- create a space where everyone can put their stuff away and keep the house clean.
– Get out of your comfort zone. Say hi to a stranger, go rock climbing, raise your hand in class- whatever it is I want it to create a little excitement and rush.
– Eat a healthy meal. A good balanced meal makes us feel full without feeling heavy. Make sure that you are mindfully eating, meaning you pay attention to what your food is like. (what it tastes like, feels like, smells like, etc.)
– Take a bath if you normally take a shower/Take a shower if you normally take a bath. This both messes with your routines/mindless activities and gives you an opportunity to do something different in order to gain an opinion on a the change. Warm water also releases calming hormones in our bodies which in turn give us a calming feeling.
– Help someone. A random act of kindness goes a long way in self care. The key to getting the most positive self esteem build out of it is to make sure that you are truly being selfless and not expecting anything in return.
– Just be. That’s right- do nothing but pay attention to the aspects around you. Notice what effect you have on it by being there and what it is like not being actively moving around in it. This can be done both inside and out.
– Pet an animal. Animals are amazing and just interacting with one creates amazing reactions within us. We get the opportunity to feel connected to something, which can be difficult with other people in our life. Animals are very much in the moment, so they bring us into that mindset with them. But most importantly we get the opportunity to be kind to someone who has no way of repaying us (through money, social status, etc).
– Read. Sitting down to read has many benefits including gaining new knowledge, helping us use our imagination, distract us from day to day stresses, giving our minds a rest from rumination, among many others.
– Jam out to your favorite music. And I mean JAM. Bust out your favorite dance moves, amazing singing voice, and air guitar. The goal here is to feel the music on both an emotional and physical level.
My Challenge to you: Make a simple self care plan. Set reminders for yourself to try one of these items a day and see what the result is. If it works- do it again. If it doesn’t- keep searching for self care items. The key here is that you take a little bit of time each day to be kind to yourself and take care of the wonderful person that you are.
Happy self love friends!
– Jessie the Therapist
Photo by:Japheth Mast
