Are you a stressed-out, busy woman with no free time? Odds are you answered with a resounding yes that was so loud you startled your kids, your dog, and your significant other and never put your mind towards Self-care.
Women today have more on their plates than ever before. Natural caregivers, who often place the needs of others before their own, they have to make time for their career, kids, friends, siblings and parents, and even their coworkers and neighbors.
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, a social worker, or a nurse, self-care often becomes a lesser focus as you work on healing and caring for those around you.
Self-care should be something that we have in our minds at all times. It should be a habit, a lifestyle and a routine that is seen as something just as important as taking care of other people’s needs.
Yet, we still find ourselves at the end of a week, exhausted and with no energy or effort left to put into ourselves. The old saying goes, how can you fill up a cup when your pot is empty?
Here are 5 steps you can take to make sure that you are keeping your self-care at the top of your priorities list.
Listen to Yourself
Listen to YourselfOne of the things that we do is ignore our own emotional needs. Psychology Today recommends that people start taking care of themselves by active listening to their self. You can do this by restating your thoughts gently, out loud to yourself.
A good example of active listening to yourself will be if you are feeling lonely on the weekends to state softly, “It’s hard to feel lonely on the weekends.” This practice puts you in the habit of acknowledging your emotions. That’s essentially where Go Do Be got its start, asking those questions.
Take Time for Meditation and Reflection
A few minutes of meditation or quiet reflection every day can help you soothe your soul. BuzzFeed notes that you don’t have to sit in an ashram saying ohmmm repeatedly to get the benefits. A few minutes of silently watching the rain or reflection on the beauty of the moment is just as good.
The best part about meditation is that the longer you do it, the easier it gets. Start with as little as five minutes a day and see if you can work up to 20. Meditation also helps reduce your physiological reactions to stress and can help you feel better.
Make Time for A Morning Workout
The road to Hades is paved with good intentions. This is true when it comes to working out. We have every intention of working out when work is over, and then it just doesn’t happen. What does happen is that extra large pizza from the place on the way home?
Huffington Post recommends you commit to working out in the morning. First, you are guaranteed to get your workout in. Second, you are going to feel amazing all day because of the post workout endorphins.
Say No
Saying no is one of the most important parts of self-care. You learn to honor yourself by respecting your time. If you cannot do a project or a favor, then say no. Don’t add stress to yourself just to be accommodating.
Learning to say no can also be amazing. People will learn how to respect your boundaries, and it allows you time to continue your mind towards self-care.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Other People
Strong Sensitive Souls recommends that you stop comparing yourself to other people. When you practice constant comparisons, you rob yourself of the ability to be happy with who you are.
It is impossible to be perfect all the time. With the advent of social media platforms, we mostly see the perfect images of people’s lives that they want us to see. The reality of these people likely looks much different. When you stop trying to be something that isn’t real, you learn to be happy with who you are.
If you can remember to do these five things, self-care will always be at the front of your mind. It is so important to take care of yourself mentally and physically. Setting social boundaries online and offline can improve your self-worth almost instantly. Do these things, and your entire perception of yourself will improve.
Go Do Be