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You have to be kind to yourself before you take care of others. These self care tips are practical, and won’t break the bank!
Between the news and Twitter, seems like there is a lot of negativity around the WebSphere, and I wanted (needed) this to be a positive space (for myself)!
What is self-care?
Self-care is all the buzz these days, and it’s often even mocked – maybe because it’s been co-opted as a marketing gimmick.
But at its core, the concept makes sense: take the time to take care of yourself.
It’s easy to get caught up in the everyday, and avoid doing things for yourself.
Why self-care?
You can’t pour from an empty cup.
If you practice self-care, you are not being selfish! It’s hard to serve your relationships well, if you are not doing well yourself.
We often have a lot of obligations across the many parts of our lives. Between work, family, friends, relationships, sometimes we neglect ourselves, and this can become a toxic habit.
So this is the reminder that you need to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, as much as you’re doing things for others!
Yes, there is a myriad of options today, many of which require spending money (sometimes, a lot of it). But I wanted to talk about some self care tips, that don’t break the bank – and are practical!
Here are 25 practical self-care tips. Go be kind to yourself today!
Take the break you need
Everyone is busy, and calendars are booked down to the minute. But it’s important to take breaks, as that fuels you to keep going! A big part of practicing self-care is to start listening to yourself, and if you need a break, please take one.
ONE: Trust yourself.
Self-care isn’t about being selfish, but rather listening to yourself! If your gut is telling you to slow down, listen to it – you know you best!
TWO: Turn down social invitations
It’s okay to say no to a brunch or drinks invitation, if you need time to yourself
THREE: Nap once in a while
Remember how as children we were forced to take a nap daily, and all we wanted to do was play? Well, in many parts of the world, that a habit that people carry into adulthood, and cities shut down shops in mid-afternoon for daily Siesta. Take a Siesta for yourself!
FOUR: Take a two minute timeout
Set a timer for two minutes. Close your eyes, and take some deep breaths. Better yet, schedule a reminder to do this daily!
FIVE: It’s okay to binge watch Netflix/Youtube videos once in a while
We often feel guilty about spending hours watching bingeing TV or videos, but this is okay once in a while. Even our brains needs a break!
SIX: Take a walk, turn off your phone’s notifications
Taking a walk allows you the opportunity to connect with your surroundings.
Celebrate and Reward your Successes
We often work hard towards our goals, but forget to stop to admire how well we have done, and how much we have accomplished! We just keep resetting the goal post, and that often leads to burnout. These self care tips help you celebrate and reward your successes – by yourself, or by including others!
SEVEN: Buy that new lipstick
Retail therapy might just be the thing you need! Don’t go overboard, but if that’s what you want, do it!
EIGHT: GLOW UP!
Put on that face mask you’ve been saving, some cucumber slices on your eyes, and you’ve got a spa night
NINE: Relish in your successes
Write down your achievements in your journal or a post-in note and stick it on your wall. If you want, shout it from your balcony, if that’s what you need!
TEN: Indulge in some dessert
Celebrations always call for cake, so indulge in a piece!
ELEVEN: Buy yourself flowers (or a plant)
Who says you have to wait? The flowers will spruce up your area, and will remind you of what you’ve accomplished!
Carve time for yourself
Time is a limited resource, there are only 24 hours in a day! We don’t need to take it all for ourselves, but if we are offering so much of it to others, while you practice self-care it is okay to reclaim some of it for yourself!
TWELVE: Put it in your calendar
We offer other people are our precious time, so we should get a piece of it as well! Block off time in your calendar for yourself to do something you enjoy!
THIRTEEN: Write it down!
Have a conversation with yourself – write down how you’re feeling! For a guided daily journal, start with the 5 minute journal. I (try) to use the app daily, in the morning and at night, and it is hands down the best 5 minutes of my day!
FOURTEEN: Get creative
Pick up a new hobby, and actually work on it at least once a week. We often say we’re going to do something new, but often life happens and we don’t follow through. Challenge yourself to work on it weekly!
FIFTEEN: Set your alarm earlier
Wake up 15 minutes earlier to spend time for yourself! Okay, I am far from a morning person, but I see how much better I feel when I start my day the right way!
SIXTEEN: Turn dead time into me-time
Make it a point to not respond to emails or calls during your commute. Instead, listen to music you enjoy or read a book!
Slow down
We’re always limited by time, and there is only so much of it. These self care tips will help you slow down, which can actually help you focus better!
EIGHTEEN: Take a walk in the park or by the water
Nature has its way of helping us slow down, so be inspired by it. Immerse yourself in nature, and slow down, even if it’s just a few minutes a day!
NINETEEN: Don’t say yes to every meeting
We often pack our calendars, and are runnign from back to back appointmnets, scheduled for every hour of the day.
Be more mindful, and ask if a meeting is required, or can it be resolved a different way! Only accept meetings that need to happen.
TWENTY: Don’t respond to emails right away
We’ve all been there, it’s 5pm and all we’ve done is respond to emails and barely done anything productive. Find ways to reduce this. If you can, open your email every 2 hours instead of responding to them right when you receive them
TWENTY-ONE: Create a bedtime routine that forces you to turn off your phone before
Be mindful of what you do right before you sleep. Be intentional about how you wind down, whether it is reading, or simply turning off notifications on your phone at a certain time everyday.
Stop comparing yourself to others
In order to practice self-care means to take care of yourself! We will inevitably compare ourselves to others, but try to make it a point to limit the self-harm that comes from it!
TWENTY-TWO: Get off Instagram / Facebook
If you find that consuming all this content is just sucking the energy from you, log out. Or set a timer and spend only 15 minutes a day on social media.
TWENTY-THREE: Get rid of triggers
Be aware of how you feel when you see certain people or brands post. Unfollow social accounts that don’t inspire you to be a better you.
TWENTY-FOUR: Compare yourself to you
Remind yourself as to how far you have come in the last month or year.
TWENTY-FIVE: Turn your comparison to inspiration
The comparison game is inevitable. Be aware of what is driving you to compare yourself to others. Why does it make you jealous? What can you do about it?
Cheers,
