Stress. It’s a part of daily living, for most of us. We’re taking care of kids and homes, work and friends but, more often than not, we forget to take care of ourselves.
Self-care is vital, however. Without it, you can become unmotivated at best or burnt out and plain unhealthy, at worst. Taking care of yourself by adding some stress relieving activities into your weekly schedule isn’t selfish or self-indulgent. It’s crucial to your physical and mental health! You can’t be a good parent, child, sibling, friend or worker if you’re tearing your hair out at the root and losing sleep!
While everyone’s idea of relaxing or unwinding is different, here are five ways that you can add self-care to even the busiest schedule:
Read a Book or Meditate
Going to a different time and place, a world that is not your own, is a great way to de-stress. Spend some quality time with a cast of characters that keeps you laughing or turning the page to see what happens next. Whether you read an actual book, or you plug into an audiobook while doing other things, you’ll be surprised how occupying your mind with a story helps to bring your shoulders down from around your ears!
If reading isn’t quite your thing, you might find yoga or meditation to be more your style. The point is to calm your mind and focus your energy. It’s rejuvenating and relaxing in a way that you can’t otherwise imagine!
Get a Massage
“Brush aside any thoughts that massage is only a feel-good way to indulge or pamper yourself. To the contrary, massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being, whether you have a specific health condition or are just looking for another stress reliever.” ~ Mayo Clinic
Have a Laugh with a Friend
Charlie Chaplin said it best: “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” The best way to get in a good giggle that helps melt your tension is by meeting up with a good friend over coffee or a drink and just chatting. Nothing serious, nothing momentous. Just a great time with a good friend.
Take a Walk
Nature has a way of putting all the cares of the world you are carrying on your shoulders into proper perspective. With a jaunt in among the trees, even if it’s a local park and not a forest hike, will help you reconnect with the quiet within you that can bring you some peace.
Unplug From Your Tech
The non-stop 24/7 news cycle and social media have converged to create a world where we feel we need to know everything, every minute of every day. Give yourself permission to tune in to your friends and family by creating some time where you unplug and disconnect from all of that. Suddenly, you’ll notice things you haven’t seen in ages: a bird in flight, a butterfly, the extra three inches your kid grew since last year… It’s all worth it!
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