Self-care is a form of productivity. I saw someone say something like this recently and it’s been ingrained in my mind ever since. We’re living in the age of overloading our schedules, saying yes to everything, and burning ourselves out before we’re 30 — or at least we were before the pandemic hit and put a swift halt to any and all plans we had. It’s really easy to overextend ourselves, and we often forget that taking care of health mentally, physically, and emotionally, should really be at the top of our list. If we’re not taking care of our self first, it’s impossible to truly be present for anyone and anything else in your life.
So, what is self-care? That’s up for debate. Some people associate self-care with taking a hot bath and listening to #Enya, while some people think of self-care as going to therapy. For me, I think self-care should be whatever makes you happy and makes you feel good. Whether that’s sweating it out at the gym or watching Netflix at the end of a really busy day — do you.
Now, you might be wondering why I’m giving you 5 self-care habits when I literally just said do whatever works for you. BUT, sometimes it’s really easy to put our wellness on the back burner and completely forget to take care of ourselves. So, if you’re struggling to really do the things that make you feel good, there are a few things I do to regroup.
💦 Drink more water. Your mom says it, your doctor says it, all the influencers on Instagram say it — just do it. You’ll be amazed how much better you feel inside and out when you’re actually properly hydrated.
⏰ Check-in with yourself. When you’re brushing your teeth, taking a shower, walking the dog, driving to the store, wherever, just do a quick 5 minute check in on how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. If you’re not taking note of how you feel day today, you won’t pick up on any major changes that may be happening over time affecting your health.
☀️ Get outside. There is science-backed fact that getting outside helps with your health across the board. Just do it.
💙 Look at the bigger picture. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you focus on your long to-do list or personal conflict. If you step back and look at the bigger picture, some of the stressors of your day to day might feel a little less daunting.
🔌 Unplug. Maybe it’s just me, but the news, social media, and even conversations with family and friends right now are a lot. Not only is there a lot of negativity but there is also an overload of information and it can be challenging to unpack it all. If you can and if you don’t already, try unplugging at least an hour a day (ideally longer) from everything.