You’re balancing work, home responsibilities, appointments, and a social life—and suddenly—life’s caught up to you and you realize you haven’t had a moment to yourself in what feels like weeks. It’s a situation that’s all too common for those working the 9-5 grind, but the good news is, there are a few things you can do to overcome that slump and start feeling your best in no time!
In this post, we’re discussing 5 ways to practice self-care so that you can take back time for yourself and regain that spice for life you’ve been missing. It’s important to note that everyone practices self-care in their own way, so use these tips as a guide to help you create a self-care plan that works for you.
1) Start journaling
Dealing with stress is a complicated process, and everyone has their own unique way of going about it. For some, physical activity is a great way to mitigate symptoms, while others prefer to engage in more relaxing activities to calm their nerves in Asia.
If you resonate with the latter, you may want to give daily journaling a try! The best part about journaling is there are no rules. You can write about your day to day struggles, how you handled challenging situations, or you can even just take a few minutes to free-write.
Journaling allows you to really connect with your thoughts and dive into your own experience, almost as if you’re an outsider looking in. There are many ways to journal, from bullet journaling to sketching, so pick up a journal that suits you and get to creating!
2) Get in touch with your energy
When you’re rushing around from one commitment to the next, it’s easy to feel like you’ve lost touch with your own feelings. But getting in touch with your feelings and energy is a great way to prioritize self-care.
An aura camera is one way you can get a glimpse of how your internal energy is expressed to the outside world. This exercise can give you insight into how you might adjust your energy or pay more attention to certain aspects in your life that should be handled a little more gently.
3) Create an exercise plan
Exercise is one of the best ways to heal both body and mind, which makes it a fantastic way to express self-care. And don’t fret if you’ve been taking a hiatus from the gym, there are tons of other ways to get your workout in that don’t involve heavy lifting or treadmill machines.
Consider signing up for group workout classes to help motivate yourself to get your daily exercise in. Or, practice yoga to combine your workout with meditation. And if you’re an adventure-seeker, a climbing membership or pass to a local ski resort could be a fun way to socialize, work out, and challenge yourself.
4) Be your own best friend
Oftentimes we get so caught up in our own schedules, we forget to spend some much-needed alone time. Whether you go to a movie or just go to the grocery store, it’s important to make moments where you can focus on yourself without having to care for others around you.
Here are some creative ways you can treat yourself to some “me time:”
- Take yourself to dinner
- Meditate
- Set up a spa night for yourself
- Unplug from work and your social life
- Listen to uplifting music
- Plan a vacation
- Create something
- Go on a walk
- Watch your favorite movie
- Read a good book
- Take a bath
- Treat yourself
5) Schedule time for people you love
There’s definitely value in spending time alone, but hanging out with your loved ones can be just as rejuvenating. Whether it’s just a phone call, or you get to visit your family and friends face to face, sharing time with those you love is a great way to show yourself some care.
Takeaways
The rush of life’s responsibilities can catch up to you quickly, but by engaging in acts of self-care, you can improve many different aspects of your life from your physical health to your relationships. Use these self-care tips as a guide and share any tips of your own in the comment section below.
