The fact that we even have the phrase “self-care” in the English language is a little worrying. Naturally, people should want to look after themselves. But all too often, regular life gets in the way. People start pushing themselves to the limits, working longer hours, all in the hope that one day, they will be able to live a better life.
Self-care is a reminder that we’re not just living for tomorrow, but today as well. The phrase almost gives us permission to be nice to ourselves – something that many of us are loath to do. It means taking time off from work at the weekends, indulging in activities that feel good, and finding ways to nourish and respect the body.
In this post, we take a look at some self-care ideas that make every day worthwhile. Check them out for yourself. How many of our suggestions do you regularly implement in your daily routine?
Go Caffeine Free
Caffeine is okay when you occasionally need something to get you going in the morning. But if you take it long-term, it soon starts to cause trouble. You feel like you’re always “on” and can never relax. You’re always hopping from one idea to another from the moment you wake up and you can never relax. It’s enough to drive you potty.
Try having a week every so often when you don’t take any coffee. You should find that you feel more relaxed and at ease with yourself during the week. Instead of feeling like you’re about to crash in the afternoon, you have a sort of second wind, even if you’ve just eaten lunch.
Write A Gratitude List In Your Journal
Gratitude is a great way to shift your brain into a different mode of thinking. Instead of concentrating on what you don’t have, being grateful is a way for you to focus on the things you do,
People who are more grateful about life tend to experience a range of positive emotions. They’re more optimistic, they complain less about physical ailments and they even wind up going for more exercise.
Spend Time With A Dog
Do you have a dog? If so, spending time with it could be one of the best things you ever do for your well-being.
Researchers think that dogs can reduce the stress hormone cortisol. When you spend time by yourself, this stress hormone tends to rise. But when you cuddle your furry friend, the “love hormone” oxytocin rises instead and this can actually block cortisol. The result is feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
Keep Your Blood Sugar In Check
Letting your blood sugar get out of whack is one of the worst things that you can do for your well-being. The higher your blood sugar levels go, the more stressed you feel.
Keeping it in balance, though, is surprisingly easy. Just make sure that you eat healthy, balanced meals that contain natural, unprocessed foods. Legumes are excellent for controlling blood sugar levels, so make sure that you eat plenty of lentils and beans. Also, be sure to get calories from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds at all your large meals. Eating a wider variety of food may have you control your blood sugar levels even better.
Become A Member Of A Support Group
Being alone with your feelings can leave you anxious and depressed. You need people around you who understand the issues that you face and are ready and able to help you.
Just being able to talk to people going through similar problems to you can make a big difference. Those in similar situations will be able to provide you with advice on what you should do next.
Change Your Home Environment
Living in a mess is bad for your mental health. Most people find that it makes them more prone to stress and increases how tired they feel during the day.
Fortunately, there are a lot of things that you can try to improve the experience of your home. For instance, you could arrange for your local florist to deliver fresh flowers to you every week so that you always have something beautiful to look at. You could also arrange a maid service if you want somebody to regularly clean up after you and sort out the house. You could even hire a decorator to give your interiors a new look – anything to change how you feel.
Learn How To Breathe
The way you breathe has a profound effect on your experience of your body. Deep breathing techniques alter your nervous system, helping it to calm down. It’s something that sages have known about for many centuries.
To breathe effectively, make sure that you breathe in lower down the chest, not high up at the top of the lungs. Try spending between 5 and 7 minutes practicing breathing. In that time, you should lower your blood pressure and start to feel more relaxed.
Meditate
Meditation isn’t just a trendy way to spend a Saturday morning. It’s also a wonderful way to apply a little self-care. Meditation is effective because it changes how the mind works. Frequent meditators have different brainwave patterns which ultimately change how they feel.
You can get the benefits of meditation from as little as 5 minutes per day. For best results, try to spend around an hour doing it in the morning. Allow your thoughts to pass you by without judgment or comment. Find a way to listen to yourself and let go of any of the things that you’ve been holding onto that are no longer serving you.
Go To Bed With A Weighted Blanket
If you feel like you just need a good hug at night, try going to bed with a weighted blanket. Having constant pressure on your body can make your nervous system feel like it is getting a big hug. This sensation can, in return, make you feel like you are safe, calming an overactive nervous system. Research on their effectiveness is still limited, but some early studies suggest that they may work wonders.
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