Self-care is a term that is thrown around a lot. People like to equate it to taking long, hot baths and putting on face masks after a long day. However, self-care is much more than that. It’s not just bubble baths and skincare. Self-care involves constructive criticism, accountability, forgiveness, wellness, and everyday opportunities to make smart choices for yourself and your future.
If you’re struggling to hop on the self-care train, it might be because the ideas of self-care portrayed in the media cater to a certain type of “care.” Sometimes it includes expensive products that not everyone can afford, or it may promote behaviors that feel good in the moment but are harmful in the long run.
Here are a few ideas for you to try if you want to show yourself more self-care in a way that will be effective and long-lasting. Keep reading to learn how to begin adding self-care routines into your daily life.
- Take Your Health Seriously
When you are a grown up, there is no excuse to not take proper care of your health. After all, if you have your health, you have everything you really need. Skipping doctor’s appointments or overworking yourself when your body is sending you signs of distress is against your body’s best interest. Instead, do yourself a favor and stay proactive with your healthcare to ensure a long, healthy life down the road.
Caring for your health doesn’t only include attending doctor’s appointments you’d rather avoid, however. It can also mean treating yourself to health treatments that you want and would benefit from! If you’ve always been self-conscious of your smile, for example, you could try getting Invisalign in Calgary to straighten your teeth and gain confidence in your own happiness. You could also get that eye surgery that would eliminate your need for contacts or look into treatments that would help your specific health concerns.
- Schedule Rest
Not picking up your laptop over the weekend or taking annual vacations to step away from the stress of the office are great ways to work rest into your schedule. You could also try to go electronics-free at bedtime to switch off your brain and give yourself a chance to recharge. Rest is essential. If you don’t rest, you will burn yourself out and could cause damage to yourself in the long run.
However, it is not an excuse to put off doing something important. Sometimes, it’s better if we finish things that we started before we rest instead of procrastinating. Procrastinating can lead to bad habits so try to stick to the goals you set for yourself.
You can do what you need to in everyday life and still schedule time to rest. It is all about finding a balance.
- Stay Accountable
Allowing yourself to slack on your personal goals isn’t doing anyone a favor. It simply creates space for you to make excuses and write it off as “self-care,” while you’re only pushing yourself farther and farther from your real goals.
Keep yourself accountable! Setting up a system designed to hold you to the goals and keep you moving toward them rather than falling behind. This could mean asking someone to serve as an accountability partner, rewarding yourself when you reach your goal or even just setting yourself a time limit. Little systems like this can work wonders in motivating you to stay productive and progress towards the dreams you have.
- Forgive Yourself, Too
We all make mistakes. We are all human and no human being is perfect. Holding grudges against yourself will only stifle our potential. Allow yourself to make mistakes. You can make it a learning experience and forgive yourself.
Putting time aside for rest or working towards that dream are all elements of self-care. Give yourself the opportunity to reflect and recover and you will feel much better for it.
No Comments