With the busy lives everyone leads, it’s easy to let self-care take a bottom spot on your list of priorities. Daily tasks can easily overwhelm you to the point that when you do finally have a minute to think, all you want to do is collapse in your chair for a few minutes of mindless television watching or get ready to go to bed.
Instead, take a look at these self-care ideas you can start implementing now. Many of them take less than a quarter of an hour and they’re all,
Self-care Ways to Help You Feel Better
1. Hydrate
Start your day off right by drinking a glass of water as soon as you get up. If the taste of plain water doesn’t appeal, try fruit-infused water. Then, throughout the day, keep a bottle of water by your side and drink frequently. Staying hydrated is key to self-care and feeling your best.
2. Plan Your Meals and Snacks
You can have the best intentions in the world to eat healthy, fresh food. But if you don’t plan ahead, you won’t have those food choices at-the-ready. That often means grabbing something from a vending machine at work or hitting a drive-thru. Instead, take the time to plan your meals and snacks for the week, at the same time each week. Then, go shopping.
3. Journal
The best thing about journalism is that you don’t have to share it with others. Journalism is a great way to get your thoughts and feelings on paper and can help you clear your mind. You may want to make it a place for positive thoughts where you write down three things you’re thankful for each day. Or you may want to use it as a place where you can jot down all your thoughts, no matter what they are, to help you process through them.
4. Take Exercise Classes
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut if you do the same old exercise routine every day. Try changing things up a bit by signing up for group exercise classes. If you haven’t done group classes before, you may be surprised at what you’ll find on offer. From spinning classes to Zumba, there’s something for everyone.
5. Take 5 Minutes of Downtime Every Day
Take time to just breathe and be alone with your thoughts. Find a quiet spot for about five minutes and close your eyes. It can help you re-center yourself.
6. Get Enough Sleep
You probably hear this all the time, but have you really been listening? Healthy adults should get an average of seven to nine hours of sleep per night. During sleep each night, your brain and body initiate routine processes to help you be your best.
7. Stop Hitting the Snooze Button
Once you’re getting enough sleep each night, it’s time to stop hitting the snooze button multiple times each morning. Instead, plan a relaxing activity that you can do each morning before getting started on your tasks for the day.
8. Try Meditation
An amazing self-care idea is mediation. Mediation has a host of benefits and you can meditate to music. Studies have shown that meditating regularly can help reduce anxiety and depression, as well as help lower blood pressure. And if you think that you’ll have to spend a lot of time meditating, you don’t. You can get benefits in as little as five minutes per day.
9. Take Time for Family Dinners
Everyone has to eat, so make time to sit down with your family and enjoy each other’s company during a family dinner. It’s understandable if you can’t make this happen every day due to conflicting schedules, but surely you can make time once a week.
10. Ditch the Technology and Work Worries
Unless you have a job that requires you to be tied to your phone, put your phone and other devices away at the same time every evening. When you always keep your phone or work computer nearby, you can’t help but check emails, answer texts or scroll through your social media.
Why not spend your time reading a good book, working in the garden, watching a favorite program or taking a leisurely walk?
11. Give Yourself Permission to Say No
The more you do, it seems like the more people want you to do. And sometimes, it’s not what others want you to do. Instead, it’s what you think you need to do. Always make sure to prioritize your needs above some of the nonessential things you think you need to do. And be selective when agreeing to engagements at the invitation of others.
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
