As a counselor working in the mental health field I hear the term self care thrown around a lot. But what is self care really and why is it so important? Well, the practice of self care is truly how it sounds, it means taking the time to do activities or take actions that nurture the self. That is pretty simple right?? What I have noticed however is that most people believe they are in a time famine and they simply do not have the time for self care. This leads to overstressed employee’s and burn out, parent’s loss of patience for their children, marital tension, and feelings of frustration and hopelessness.
Life is going to throw us up’s and downs that is unavoidable. But we have great power to change our experiences with day to day stressors by making the time to do self care activities. How do we make time when we feel we are in a time famine? We change our thinking (check out my power of thoughts blog) about how we structure our day and make it a priority to set time aside for self care. It is kind of like developing a budget. The most commonly offered bit of advice for saving money is to pay yourself first. Anyone who has done this will attest that once you make the habit of taking a percentage of your pay as soon as you get your paycheck and put it into savings; you will adjust your budget to fit the remaining amount of money to pay your expenses. The same will be true when you designate time for self care; you will fit what needs to be done into the remaining hours of the day.
You likely are very busy and depending on demands for your time may have only a small amount of time to designate to self care. Just like creating a budget to pay yourself first, you will budget what time you can afford. The point is that you do budget time for self care. So what do I mean by self care? Self care activities are actions that simply bring you peace, joy, or relaxation. You can do this for 5 minutes a couple times a day or take an entire day off to enjoy as you see fit. Check out the idea’s below and choose some that will fit into your schedule and watch your stress levels lessen and your thoughts improve.
5 minute self care activities
Take a break and stretch
Write a thank you note to someone special
Step outside and take 10 deep breaths
Walk around the yard
Say affirmations
Write personal goals
De-clutter your desk
Jam out and dance
Or just Jam out to a favorite song
Take an extra 5 minutes in a hot shower
Help someone
Write out 10 great attributes about yourself
Wear something that feels great on your skin
Color in a coloring book
Close your eyes and put a hot towel across your face (add essential oil for aromatherapy)
Walk through a garden or smell a flower
Pull out your smart phone and find 5 beautiful things to take a picture of
Stand outside and soak in the sun
Take a different route to work (bonus points for using back roads)
Stare at the clouds or stars depending on the time of day
30 minute self care activities
Take a walk
Complete a lingering task on your “to-do” list
Connect with a friend (in person or by phone)
Get a hair cut
Clean out your email and unsubscribe from unwanted sites
Take a scented bath
Take a dog for a walk
Review your personal goals and pick one to work towards
Read for pleasure
Take a quick nap
In a notebook write out on one page all your troubling thoughts and on another page a gratitude list. Then rip out the troubling thoughts page and throw it away.
Cuddle with a loved one
Be social. Talk to someone at work, the bus stop, or the coffee shop
Light candles, play relaxing music, and sit in silence
Listen to a motivational speaker
Make something crafty (Check pintrest for ideas)
Plan a healthy menu to eat for the week
Watch videos or look at pictures of your loved ones
Fix something that has been bothering you
Get lost in your thoughts (positive ones that is) Dream big!
1 hour or more self care activities
Take yourself on a date doing an activity you loved as a child
Go out and see some live music
Join a fitness class such as yoga, Pilates, or Zumba
Join a book club
Help someone else
Go to a local park and feed the birds (if allowed)
Meet a friend for a picnic
Take a scenic drive
Listen to an inspirational audio tape
Get a massage
Unplug and go for an overnight trip
Do some gardening
Go for a swim
Get your teeth cleaned
Clean your closet of clothes you do not wear and donate them
Cut out images from magazines that represent your goals and make a vision board
Prepare a healthy meal
Try a new restaurant with a friend and order something out of your norm
Take a trip to a lake or the ocean and skip stones
Go to a public area and smile at passer by’s