Self care keeps you from burning out in your daily life. Prioritizing your health is one of the best ways to keep your overall well-being in check. Without a doubt, it is high time for self care awareness and commitment to prevail. Doing so will allow us to not only care for ourselves, but for our loved ones as well.
Find out simple ways to a healthier lifestyle with these guaranteed tips and tricks.
Self Care Definition and Importance
What is Self Care?
As one can infer from its name, self-care refers to the strategies and activities that people do to maintain good health, improve their medical conditions, and keep their overall well-being in check. It encompasses various components that aim to enhance a person’s physical, emotional, mental, and social conditions.
Why is Self Care Important?
Self care is important because it promotes more than just a healthy body. It also helps people acquire a healthy outlook on life and in turn, themselves. Practicing self care allows for feelings such as joy and peace to prevail. In the long run, keeping these emotions can provide a healthier and more fulfilled sense of self.
Contrary to what most people may think, self care goes beyond tending to your personal needs or selfish desires. Ultimately, taking care of yourself can help you take care of the people you care about, too. Indeed, positive thinking and healthy well-being could also help establish and maintain good relationships with others—most especially your loved ones.
Self Care Tricks for Physical Health
Exercise Regularly
Squeezing in regular exercise in your self care routine can greatly help you to achieve your best physical self. While people typically associate working out with losing weight or having a better physique, this activity is also an effective stress buster. Indeed, exercise is a proven method to cope with mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
So, make sure to keep your body active while you keep your mental well-being in check. As a bonus, exercise can help promote better bone density and stronger muscles that can improve your body balance and health.
Eat Healthily
Aside from regular exercise, eating healthy is also a great way to take care of yourself. Taking in leafy greens and fresh fruits can make a difference in detoxifying your body and acquiring essential nutrients. Learning what is tofu and other food alternatives can also help you plan and take in healthier meals.
Observe Hair Care
Another way to care for yourself is by ensuring that your hair is healthy. To do this, washing your hair with the right products can make it clean and well-tended. Moreover, constantly and carefully brushing your hair can detangle its ends well. Another great way to keep your mane healthy is by trimming it from time to time so you can get rid of split ends for good. Learning how to style short hair and long hair can also provide helpful tips in keeping your mane looking sleek and healthy.
Stay Hydrated
Among the easiest and most effective self care tips is the regular intake of water. Staying hydrated promotes brain and bodily functions. Drinking water helps detoxify your body as well. It can also prevent dehydration, constipation, and other conditions or illnesses.
As such, you should observe and maintain the habit of drinking at least eight glasses of water daily. Keeping in mind to drink at least one glass of water every hour can help you achieve this goal more easily.
Drink Tea
Tea is another healthy drink that can keep you physically well and sound. Drinking tea regularly can promote cardiovascular health and lower cholesterol levels. Moreover, opting for unsweetened tea options can help reduce sugar intake while providing gut health benefits and antioxidant properties. Try including a cup of tea in your mornings to care for your body in an effective, hassle-free way.
Go Out For A Walk
A simple walk in the park or stroll outside can make a huge difference in keeping your physical and even emotional health well. This easy-to-do and uncostly activity can help promote blood flow, boost energy, and improve brain functions. Moreover, bringing a family member, peer, or even your furry friends along can be a great way to bond and relieve stress, as well.
Have a Soothing Bath
A quality life can be experienced even in mundane activities, such as having the most soothing bath. Ending your day in the bath can give you ultimate relaxation and peace. Using bath bombs, oils, or salts can also make your bathing experience even better—all while keeping you clean and your skin more nourished. If you wish to go extra, light up candles and set the mood with some classical music. Having a delightful glass of wine can’t hurt, either!
Do Yoga
Including yoga in your self care plan is also a great way to stay in good health. This activity can help stretch out your body, while also providing stress-relieving benefits. Breathing yoga is also an activity worth considering as it offers benefits on emotional conditions and memory improvements.
Maintain a Skincare Routine
Taking care of your face can also provide long-term benefits in keeping your body healthy. As such, allotting time for a skincare routine every day can go a long way in achieving this. Make a point to include nourishing products in your self care kit to avoid skin conditions that can cause you stress and even discomfort. Moreover, be consistent in doing your skincare routine to achieve the best results.
Moisturize
Aside from your face, you should also remember to keep the skin in other parts of your body in good condition. One of the most effective ways to do this is by moisturizing. Regularly apply lotion to your arms and legs to soothe your skin. Doing so can also help prevent your skin from getting sensitive or irritated. Such conditions can lead to worse skin problems that won’t benefit you in the long run. So, make sure to always grab a hand cream or a bottle of lotion ready—especially when you’re living in dry or cold weather conditions.
Do Nail Care
Body care should also extend to your fingernails and toenails, as well. Keeping your nails trimmed can help reduce the chance of harboring bacteria. Cutting them properly can also help avoid ingrown nails and hangnails that often cause discomfort. Well-manicured and pedicured nails look great—ultimately bringing you more confidence and happiness, too.
Care for Your Eyes
Being mindful of your eye health is a must if you wish to have good vision for a longer time. Indeed, avoiding eye strain can help prevent blurred eyesight and dry eyes. To achieve this, you should make sure to follow the 20-20-20 rule. This states that for every 20 minutes, you should take a 20-second break as you look at an object that’s located about 20 feet away.
Moreover, you can take care of your eyes by making sure that they are moist. Lubricate them by constantly blinking or using eye drops to avoid dryness. Opting for eyeglasses with protection from blue light and ultraviolet light also goes a long way in keeping your eyes healthier.
Sleep
Never underestimate a good night’s sleep to end a self care day. Indeed, having enough rest is one of the best ways on how to improve yourself and your health. To experience quality sleep, you can invest in a great bed, get a weighted blanket, and use comfortable sheets. Doing so can help you feel calmer as you doze off into the night. Making sure to go to bed early also helps regulate your body clock—making you feel more physically energized and strong the next day.
Self Care Ideas for Mental Health
Journaling
Simply keeping a journal can help people who struggle with mental health conditions to grasp their emotions and thoughts better. Writing down what you feel and think goes a long way in understanding what caused them and how to handle them. Do keep in mind that journaling shouldn’t be such a tiring or boring task. Trying out various bullet journal ideas can help motivate you to be consistent and excited about this activity. In turn, you will look forward to writing down your thoughts and feelings every day.
Take a Break
Sometimes, your self care checklist should contain no planned activities at all. With a lot of things on your plate and responsibilities in mind, maybe a self care Sunday is what you need to feel better.
Of course, taking a break doesn’t necessarily mean just sitting down and staring into space. Doing self-indulgence and anti-stress activities of your choice can also help boost your energy and mental health. You can take a breather by playing free online games or indulging in Mediterranean food all day. Indeed, letting hours or even a day go by as you just do what you wish to do can help cheer you up or calm you down.
Books for Mental Health
Reading self care books on how to be happy, feel more positive, and be motivated is one of the best ways in improving your mental health. Indeed, literary pieces that contain inspiring self care quotes could also encourage you to practice them. Self-help books written by mental health professionals can also help you cope with mental health struggles and personal problems as well.
Take Note of Accomplished Goals
Without a doubt, having multiple tasks and goals in mind can be pressuring. Thinking of the things you must complete could bring stress as you constantly worry about them. So, why not try doing the inverse of a to-do list to make you feel more at ease? Taking note of the tasks you’ve done can help you feel less stressed and more accomplished. Moreover, seeing development in your work can also inspire you to strive harder towards goal manifestation.
Bear in mind that little progress is still considered progress. Doing your best is more than enough to know that you have been productive and determined.
Music Therapy
Aside from being a source of entertainment, music also plays a role in mental health improvements. Indeed, music therapy is one of the widely-recognized forms of remedies for people who experience stress and even anxiety. Listening to relaxing music can help soothe muscles, ease palpitations, and reduce blood pressure. As a result, you’ll be feeling better as you reflect on your emotions while comforting music plays.
The next time you’re feeling stressed, try this form of therapy to collect your thoughts and calm down. Songs with self care lyrics can go a long way in having a sound mind and healthy mental well-being.
Download a Self Care App
With all that’s going on, it has become harder to keep track of responsibilities and planning self care activities. In turn, overthinking about your tasks while also worrying about your health can make you feel even more pressured and stressed. Downloading self care apps can help in resolving these problems.
A wide range of these applications offers various features that align with what you need. Some apps deliver regular notifications to remind you to drink water, eat well, and socialize more. Moreover, other self care applications help you keep track of your tasks. This way, you can avoid constantly stressing and worrying about remembering them. If you wish to find a way to keep yourself calmer, there are also downloadable apps that offer meditation activities and guidelines.
Spend Time with Loved Ones
Self-isolation from time to time can help recharge your social energy and attain self-sufficiency. However, frequent and prolonged seclusion from people can prove to be more disadvantageous than beneficial. Spending too much time in solitude can increase the risk of feeling anxious and depressed. Being independent may be helpful but at the end of the day, we all still need someone to lean on.
Just the small gesture of spending time with your loved ones can go a long way in avoiding detrimental conditions. Knowing you’re loved and reminding yourself of the positive things in your life can help avoid feelings of self-blame, guilt, or pessimism. Indeed, bonding with a family member or a friend will surely help you feel happier and more reassured.
Take A Break from Social Media
Without a doubt, social media helps us connect with people and stay updated on the latest happenings. However, it can also be detrimental to your mental health due to stressful news or toxic people. Such aspects can make you feel more restless and worried instead of happier and secure.
Disconnecting from the internet can be an effective way of how to manage stress from the online world. Indeed, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to focus on yourself as you avoid getting triggered or worried about online content. Taking a break will help you breathe from such things that could take a toll on your well-being.
List Down Positive Things
To attain your best self, you should first learn to appreciate who you are right now. By regularly listing down things that you love about yourself, you can embody self-love. This can also make you feel more fulfilled.
On another note, making a daily list of things that you’re thankful for can also be a form of self care. Remembering even the not-so-little things throughout your day can help you focus on the good aspects of your life. This will be much better than dwelling on the negative which could cause unhappiness or dissatisfaction.
Seek Professional Help
When it comes to mental health issues, the best form of self care is still seeking professional help. Indeed, having an expert to turn to can help you deal with your struggles even better. A professional’s proven stress relief and mental health care tips will also go a long way in ensuring that your mental well-being is taken care of properly.
Self Care Activities for Emotional Health
Get Creative
This is one of the best self care ideas for women who wish to experience escapism and have an outlet for stress. To achieve this, among the creative things you can do is sewing a dress worthy of your cottagecore lifestyle dreams. Channeling your inner Taylor Swift by writing about isolation (or your crazy, cheating ex) can also help relieve stress. You can also feel enjoyment by doing crochet, cross-stitch, painting, or perfecting your fountain pen skills.
Indeed, the sky’s the limit when it comes to creating art. Just keep in mind that the point is to have fun for these to become effective self care activities.
Start Dancing
More often than not, dancing your problems away could just be the perfect stress-relieving activity you can do. Indeed, dancing can help improve emotional issues—all while keeping your body in good shape and health.
Try to have a dance party at home as you dance to Blackpink choreographies to improve your mood and physical strength. Getting your groove on as you blast Lady Gaga songs can also energize you and have you feeling better than before.
Sing Your Heart Out
If you’re not into breaking a sweat over dancing, maybe having a singing session can make you feel better. Indeed, performing a soulful Ariana Grande song or singing along to BTS hits could do wonders in relieving sadness or other negative emotions. This way, you can channel your frustrations or worries to songs that reflect how you’re feeling.
Go Shopping
Purchasing items that you want and need can also be a great way to feel emotionally more secure. Indeed, retail therapy can provide a sense of fulfillment and happiness when done in moderation. So, go and treat yourself with stuff that you’ve always wanted to buy. While you’re at it, make sure to avail some self care products that can further help you feel healthier and happier.
Plants at Home
Taking care of plants can also be a way to practice self care for men and women, alike. Indeed, tending to indoor plants can help distract you from your problems. Having fall flowers can also make your garden look more beautiful and peaceful. Growing vegetables at home can also encourage you to eat healthily. Above all, plants purify the air and are great to look at—making you feel more relaxed and happier.
Be Nice to Others
Sometimes, caring for yourself could come in the form of caring for other people. Indeed, being nice to others can make you feel emotionally sound and better. To achieve this, you can try to do acts of kindness for the people you care about. These could include giving self care gifts or even just sending a message saying “I care about you” to make them feel loved.
Binge-Watch
Watching movies and shows can be entertaining, but they can also help you feel emotionally better. Indeed, watching the best movies on Netflix about family, friendship, and love can tug at your heartstrings. Binge-watching inspiring films on Disney Plus can also encourage you to maintain their moral lessons. Most of all, having your loved ones watch with you can also be a great way to bond. In turn, this can make you feel good and more at ease.
Self Care Tips for Spiritual Health
Pray
Getting in touch with your spiritual self is also a way to care for your overall well-being. It can help you feel more at ease and hopeful. By means of praying, a sense of humility and even altruism can develop in you. Such positive traits can be beneficial for you as you embody them throughout your whole life.
Listen to Spiritual Podcasts
While podcasts can serve as a way to pass time, they can also be vessels of good information and inspiring content. Notably, listening to spiritual podcasts can motivate you to take care of your soul and well-being. Aside from the positivity and encouragement that they bring, podcast media are also easy to consume. You can merely listen to them with your noise canceling headphones as you work or run errands. This way, connecting with your spiritual self is easier as it allows you to finish your daily tasks, as well.
Go on A Spiritual Trip
To deepen the connection with your spirit, having a getaway could help you go the extra mile in terms of achieving this goal. Getting in touch with nature and meeting other people can truly humble and inspire you. Most of all, getting away from the stresses of everyday living and responsibilities could also help you attain inner peace. In turn, you could feel calm, collected, and above all—healthy.
The Bottom Line
True enough, making a self care plan is the first step in achieving a healthier you. However, bear in mind that commitment to your routine should still be observed and maintained. Exerting effort in doing self care activities between your daily errands goes a long way in attaining your health goals.
Ultimately, taking care of yourself also allows you to take care of the people you love. The most essential thing is to keep in mind that self care ventures beyond personal indulgences. It offers a way for you to cultivate a healthy relationship with others, and most of all—yourself.
