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Sometimes there is just so much to do in order to feel ready for whatever is coming next. Get up early, shuttle everyone to school, make time for a coffee date with a friend, plan dinner for the family, and finish that major project at work. There really is no rest.
When things start to get really busy, our self-care can start to fall by the wayside. We get caught up in taking care of all those people around us and forget that we need attention and TLC too! On the whole, forgetting about ourselves can make us feel like we’re stuck in a rut and really take a toll on everything we’re trying to do.
If you’re starting to feel this way, it’s time to focus on your own self-care. It doesn’t really even matter if your reason is that all of your other commitments are suffering or just because you deserve to treat yo’self. Making time for yourself is a healthy thing that more of us need to make a higher priority. Just being yourself and loving yourself can help you enjoy life more.
Relax
Taking time for yourself may seem like an easy thing to do — you just stop answering phone calls and put on some Michael Jackson, right? But it can be a lot more challenging than you would think. The trick is making sure there is a time for you to just check out, stop focusing or worrying, and just relax. Do exactly what you want to do, and don’t let anything get in your way!
De-stressing is the key to relaxing, but it is also the crux. When you’re wound tight, it can be difficult to relax enough to even enjoy your free time. There are a lot of ways to help de-stress, relax, and focus your mind on something else for a while. Taking advantage of whatever works for you will help you relax without you realizing it.
One example of a way to relax and de-stress is to go to the spa. Getting something like a facial or a deep tissue massage at the spa can help release pent up tension while also giving you time to disengage from everything going on around you. A trip to the spa can also have the power to make you feel more confident about yourself, which is another great self-care benefit.
Make a Change
Sometimes you need a lot more than a couple hours or even a day to relax and make yourself feel a bit better. Occasionally, what is really needed is more of a lifestyle change that will put you back on track and working towards the life you really want to have. If this is your situation, try to nail down one change that would make a big difference in your life and start taking baby steps to make it all happen.
Losing weight or eating healthier is typically one major factor that people identify for change. As with most things, a change in diet won’t stick if it’s incredibly difficult to implement. Rather, cut out a few things at a time or start replacing unhealthy recipes with better ones. Maybe go gluten free for breakfast or give up sugary cereal altogether in favor of granola and yogurt.
Time management is another means of making a small change that can really impact your life. Use some common cheats to find more time in life, such as creating a calendar and scheduling events and due dates. Getting a bit more organized can help you work more efficiently and give you oodles more time to focus on self-care and the things that really matter.
Get Away
Finally, consider the ultimate form of self-care: going away on a dream vacation. It may feel impossible or selfish — but it really isn’t. Traveling can be done on the cheap all over the world, and taking care of yourself by doing something you’ve dreamed of doing is never selfish.
Plus, traveling is great for you for about a million reasons. It can improve your physical health in ways you wouldn’t normally consider (for example, those traveling typically walk over eight miles per day). Likewise, it has huge mental health benefits such as stress relief, anxiety management, and reduction in depression symptoms. Traveling can also open you up to all sorts of new experiences and cultures that can alter the way you think in a positive way.
Depending on what exactly you’re interested in doing, you could travel just about anywhere. For example, you can ski literally all over the world. There are beautiful beaches on every continent as well as powerful history and fascinating cultures. Really, whatever your dream is, you can make it happen.
Stepping up your self-care game can change just about everything in your life. Self-care has ripple effects and taking time for yourself can actually improve the rest of your life interactions and projects. Take time for yourself to relax, make a change, or go on a dream vacation — you deserve it!
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