No matter how hectic life gets, remember to care for you! When we make time (however little) to nurture ourselves, we become healthier, happier and more connected with ourselves.
Depending on the particular lifestyle we lead, self-care can have different meanings but ultimately, it’s about doing things that you enjoy to make your body, mind and soul feel better.
For some, this can mean reading a book at your favourite coffee shop, dying your hair green, taking a power nap, soaking in the tub or even using certain routines to clear your head such as a grocery list or calendar.
If you are feeling guilty about focusing on yourself or you’re struggling to find the courage to apply self-care to your life, just remember a few important things:
- It sounds cliché but you only live once (YOLO) so you deserve to spend some of it on yourself. Say Yes2Yolo!
- Practising self-care puts us in touch with who we really are and our core purpose in life.
- When you spend time caring for yourself, you are better able to nurture and restore your physical and mental well-being. And by doing this, you automatically reduce your stress level, improve your productivity and creativity and become more equipped to support the people you care about.
I hope you now feel motivated (if even just a tad bit) and are now ready to explore how to care for yourself by implementing these 7 simple self-care strategies. Follow these and you’ll be able to free up time and give yourself the care, love and attention you deserve.
Contents
1. Go Outside
If even for 15 minutes, make it a part of your daily routine to go outside, get some sunlight and fill your lungs with fresh air. If you can, throw in a 20-30 minute walk or light run; that’s even better.
Exposure to natural environments is good medicine for the body, calms the mind, relieves stress and increases longevity.
2. Get a good night’s rest
Getting good quality sleep on a regular basis is vital to our physical health and emotional well-being. Sleep helps to sharpen our brains, reduces stress, improves our mood and recharges the mind and body.
3. Eating Mindfully
When we chose to eat mindfully:
- we are eating to satisfaction rather than to the point of being stuffed, bloated or overly full; and
- we are responding to our food choices without feeling a sense of guilt.
Inevitably, when we practise mindful eating, we are consciously caring for our bodies and improving our overall health and well-being.
4. Establish & Maintain Healthy Boundaries
It takes courage to set up healthy boundaries in our various relationships but once we do, they allow us to:
- Say no to things instead of taking everything on;
- Draw the line in terms of what is ok for us versus what it is not; and
- Take control over what we let in or allow.
Inevitably, setting and maintaining boundaries gives us power and control over our time, boosts our confidence and self-esteem, enhances our quality of life and reduces anxiety and stress.
5. Stop doing things you do not enjoy
Life’s too short and for this reason, we need to maximize the time we have available doing things that we love.
We all have things that we enjoy whether it be baking a cake, gardening or listening to music. When we do them, not only do we experience fun but also a feeling of happiness and fulfilment.
6. Let Go of Stuff
You’d be surprised at how decluttering and getting rid of stuff that no longer add value to our lives can improve our well-being.
When we get rid of the excess and material distractions, we free up more space in our homes, which means more breathing room for relaxation. We also spend far less time cleaning, hence creating more time to focus on the things that really matter.
7. Give a little – It’s good for the soul
There’s nothing like watching someone’s face light up with excitement and elation when they open a gift you gave. Simple acts of kindness towards others give you a sense of purpose, make you feel happier and more satisfied about life.
It is so true that when you have a giving heart, not only are you happy but you also live a more meaningful and fulfilled life.
I hope you were inspired by this article. Feel free to drop me a comment below.
Author
Monique Abbott
Hi, I ’m Monique, founder and editor-in-chief of Yes2Yolo, travel addict, lover of home makeover projects among many other passions, including creative and inspirational writing to embolden us to live our best lives. At my core, I am a creative artistic being and I believe that creativity knows no end.
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I’ve explored over 60 countries with my husband Nick. Together we’ve partnered on some truly exciting projects such as creating and running a successful Airbnb business, chairing condo boards, purchasing fixer-uppers and renovating them from scratch on our own while balancing all of this with full-time jobs and family.
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While my personal passions are travel and home décor, I am, by profession, a lawyer with over 17 years experience.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Monique and yes I am inspired!
Thank you so much Elizabeth. Your feedback is well appreciated!
Great article MC 😄
Thank you Courtnay!
So I found myself re-reading this article although I read it earlier this year and all that you have said is on point! Self care is so important but sometimes we forget that as we are so busy caring for everyone and everything but ourself. So thanks for the reminder Monique! YOLO
Awww! You are most welcome Elizabeth! I’m sometimes guilty of looking after others, as the risk of neglecting myself. I think we all are but these tips can serve to remind us of how important it is to care and nurture ourselves; otherwise we’ll be of no use to anyone.