I hope you said, "I do!" But, if you feel emotionally drained, stressed, and taken for granted much of the time, then you're probably not practicing good self care!
Self care is the habit of nurturing yourself. It requires you to actually take some time during your day to focus on you. Our society has become so fast paced and chaotic, many people put self care on the back burner. And, in the short term, this may seem to make perfect sense. You're tough, you're energetic, you can handle the pressure. Right?
Right?!
Maybe you can for now, but consistently neglecting yourself will catch up with you quickly and ripple throughout your life. You're bound to see the impact in your sleeping and eating patterns, your relationships, and your ability to handle life's problems. You may accomplish a lot during your day, but unless you implement and follow a self care plan, you are bound to become worn out and unhappy.
What's that, you say? You don't have time to focus on you?
Exactly! That's what you have trained yourself to think! That everything you do MUST be done and that it is all more important than taking care of your own wellbeing.
The challenge is to unlearn those "lessons" and relearn how to treat yourself kindly. There are an infinite number of ways you can practice self care. A short list includes:
*taking walks
*playing with your dog
*reading the newspaper
*taking a nap
*playing golf
*lunching with friends
*relaxing at the park
*watching a movie
*having a night on the town
*working on your car
Surely you already know what it is that makes you feel good and takes your mind off the day's worries. Coming up with your list isn't the hard part. Actually finding the time and then implementing it is the challenge!
How do you fit self care into your life? It's a good idea to start off with a plan. First, identify what things you would like to do for yourself. Some of them can be special treats that you might do just once a month, and others should be things you can do most days.
Next, find the time. Self care activities should not add to your stress! So you have to find time during the day when you can actually enjoy doing something nice for yourself. And it doesn't have to be big. Maybe reading the paper alone for just 15 minutes in the morning really sets you up for a better day.
Finally, do it! Actually getting into the habit of nurturing yourself takes some time and practice, so it is essential that you place self care as a priority in your life.
Stress, emotional overeating, and emotional burn out are all common results from a lack of self care. But the great news is that you can make the necessary changes in your life to minimize those negativities!
Self care is the best thing you can do for yourself. And admitting that doesn't make you selfish or self-centered. It means that you know you must be in the best condition to do your many jobs as well as you can. And taking care of yourself is job number one! |
