Making time for taking care of oneself is easier said than done for most people. Sometimes it can seem like there is not enough time in the day to accomplish everything you need to do; especially when it is taking a time out to care for yourself. Self-care is essential to your overall physical and mental health. When we do not take time to do the things that make us happy and love ourselves, it makes it challenging to handle the stress of our everyday lives as well as care for our loved ones.
Even though the thought can be daunting about how you are going to find the time to do something for yourself, even just taking 5-10 minutes out of the day to do something for you can be extremely uplifting and powerful.
Schedule yourself into your schedule: Whether it be early in the morning before others are up in the house or late at night when everyone else is asleep, take a few minutes for alone time.
Ask yourself “What are things that make me happy?”: Treat yourself to do an activity that brings you joy. Whether it be knitting, taking hikes, coloring, getting your nails done, watching a funny movie, or like me, sitting outside drinking a nice hot cup of coffee by myself before my day begins.
Surround yourself with positivity: Put the news feed down and spend time with close friends and family that uplift you.
Meditation: Allowing time to be mindful of yourself can increase your self-awareness and really can get you more in tune with yourself. Research suggests that meditation is “associated with improvement in a variety of psychological areas, including stress and anxiety” and it also can “reduce blood pressure, pain response, stress hormone levels and even cellular health” (Melnick).
Try something new: Take a new class for fun or learn a new hobby that you have always wanted to try.
Splurge a bit: Treat yourself to eating something you love like that piece of chocolate cake you have avoided since you began that diet or enjoy a day at the spa where you can unwind by yourself.
Laugh: Laughter not only helps boost you physically through building up your immune system, but emotionally as well by increasing your mood and decreasing anxiety and stress (“Laughter Is The Best Medicine: The Health Benefits Of Humor And Laughter”).
The first step to taking time for yourself is making a list of things that make you feel good. Find out what makes you happy and what gets your mind away from your daily routine of life.
Steve Marabol quotes that “The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” Which is so true! So take an extra 5 minutes every day to listen to your favorite song, snuggle with your pet, or just sit and breathe. If what you are doing is for you, then you will be in a much more positive and healthy place!
References
“Laughter Is The Best Medicine: The Health Benefits Of Humor And Laughter”. Helpguide.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Mar. 2017
Melnick, Meredith. “LOOK: Your Body On Meditation”. The Huffington Post. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Mar. 2017
