Self Care Ideas I learned the hard way

Before you start having second thoughts about why you even bothered to do an internet search on this matter, let me make this clear to you – you deserve it. Everybody deserves some dose of self-care however irrelevant it may be considered.

Service to self is as important as service to others.

When we pay close attention to the repair and maintenance of our automobiles, household appliances, relationships, finance, etc. etc. We often neglect ourselves and our needs.

While struggling to hold together everything around us and looking after our beloveds, we drain out an enormous amount of energy which are not necessarily replenished with equal vigor.

As we dedicate ourselves much into our careers and families, and get so used to having the success and accomplishments, and made a habit of neglecting our own core needs to such an extent that even the thought of self care brings in an overbearing feeling of guilt into our minds.

So let us not just stop helping ourselves with just the appearance of good or better. You are here to actually be your best self. So lets explore some ideas I learned in my life the very hard way. Here is a simplified list which will help you.

Physical Self-Care

Make sure you get adequate sleep every single day. Punctuality will enhance the results. For more information on better sleep you can visit this page https://blushfairies.com/8-steps-to-sleep-better/.

Exercise

Maintain a good fitness routine which agrees with your body. Take the help of a fitness trainer if necessary. Always enjoy the process and exercise moderation.

Hygiene

Proper hygiene habits will mean that your body will have to waste lesser resources to fight harmful germs. And it will also keep several viral communicable diseases at bay. Cleanliness is a way of life more than a routine or duty, it is also a social service.

Me time

Spending some time alone with your own thoughts without external influences helps in maintaining sanity and a healthy sense of self. Take out some time every day to spend with yourself, to contemplate and rejuvenate.

Medical care

Keep track of your health condition. Renew your medical insurance and do regular medical checkups. Document your medical history and maintain records for future reference.

Safety

Upgrade the safety measures in your home and place of work. Install hazard mitigation strategies, security cameras and locking systems. Take precautions against theft and natural calamities on a personal level especially while traveling.

Vacations

Holidaying is necessary these days, especially if you have a hectic job schedule. It is a fantastic opportunity to take time to explore the world, travel, spend time with family and getting in touch with your inner self by relaxing properly.

Professional Self-care

Regular supervision

Keep track of your professional activities, maintain detailed documents regularly. Try to see the bigger picture in and observe your work environment and colleagues.

Plan ahead

Keep tab of successful and unsuccessful endeavors and make sure to play it safe when it comes to work and work related activities. Set goals for the future and make wise career moves by constantly upgrading yourself and keeping your plans to yourself.

Educate yourself

Always be eager to gain knowledge. Study relevant subjects which may aid you in your professional growth and never lose an opportunity to learn new things.

Stay updated

Be aware of the current trends and movements in career fields. Try to find out options that might actually help in career progress. Research possibilities and new pathways to improve your current standing.

Stay vigilant

Socialize with the prominent people in your line of work but refrain from taking any actions which may sour relationships in the future. Network wisely with people inside and outside your work space. Be aware of the office politics and the workings of the top tier.

Fix a schedule

Create a productive schedule for your working days. Plan and sort out activities according to priorities and convenience. Make sure the schedule is flexible and extracts maximum output for the time invested.

Set boundaries

Refrain from compromising on time and resources when it comes to work productivity. Keep your relationships with colleagues neutral and healthy, by not bringing in personal emotions and intentions. Say no when work demands overwhelm you.

Take breaks

Take a few minutes off to relax and stretch, hydrate yourself and rest your eyes. Distract yourself for a little while to de-stress and meditate. Do not forget to utilize small breaks to grab a snack or chat with a friend.

Personal Self-care

Self Awareness

Be aware of what phase of life you are in, what all resources you have and what all options you have in life. Have an understanding about your strengths and weaknesses, what you want and do not want in life.

Set goals

Setting a few goals will help you reap great rewards in the future and you will have a sense of purpose and self-worth. Working for a good cause and staying productive defines life by itself.

Prioritize

Having a clarity about what is important to you and what will be beneficial to you will be helpful in charting out what kind of actions you have to take at what timing. Prioritizing your needs is a necessity.

Cook food

Food is a necessity for survival. So every person should be capable of helping oneself, regardless of gender or social status. Along with enjoying the fruits of your labor, be generous and share it with others.

Relaxation

Figure out your personal mode of relaxation. Breathe, let loose and disconnect from the constant processing and analyzing of information inside your brain and relax your body muscles.

Hobby time

Pursue some activity which you thoroughly enjoy doing. Do something which makes you feel happy and which will be helpful to your personality and intellect.

Foster friendships

Put some effort and time in good friendships. Cultivate a good circle of well-wishers and positive people. Be careful of who you let influence your thoughts and decisions.

Manage finances

Keep yourself educated in the matters of money. Be aware of your and your family’s spending habits and financial patterns. Always have emergency funds and be farsighted when making financial decisions.

Manifest your future

Try to incorporate positivity in your thoughts. Always aspire to be better and expect the best of every situation. Try to maintain a mindset of gratitude and contentment while working towards achieving success.

Life partner

Your spouse/ partner is the most important person in your life who has a direct and intense effect on your mental, emotional, physical and professional health. Choose your partner wisely as they will be a part of your present and future in an impactful role.

Spiritual Self-care

Forgiveness

Try your best to practice forgiveness. Forgive others for their misgivings and above all, forgive yourself for certain mistakes, mindsets and beliefs. Unburden yourself from the past.

Help others

Be generous and support others in their time of need. Being selfless to an extend when it comes to bettering some other person’s life or a situation is a noble act.

Pray

Prayer is not necessarily asking or begging your entity(s) for wish fulfillment. It is a way of acknowledging a higher power and showing gratitude for all the good things which exist in the universe.

Nature power

Recharge yourself through nature by going Eco friendly in life choices and using natural resources more. Being in proximity to greenery, natural landscapes and activities like gardening, farming etc can be very relaxing and fulfilling.

Your Tribe

Finding peace-loving people who you can connect with is important for social well-being. Spending time with well-wishers, healthy interactions and sharing of useful information with like-minded people is a good practice.

Meditate

Taking time off to calm down and focus in relaxing your mind and body is crucial for every person. Try to meditate for a least of 15 minutes to have better connection with your mind and body.

Self-reflection

Dedicate some time everyday to rewind and contemplate your thoughts and actions. This may reveal many options and alternate possibilities which would have lead to a different reality. This can help you to be a better decision maker and a better person.

Arts

Appreciate beauty, culture and creativity around you. Explore and find beauty in nature and special talents of people. Pursue a hobby which will bring out the creativity in you.

Play

Find happiness in light-hearted activities like some sports or activities for amusement. Engaging in leisurely activities which uplift your spirits and metabolism and a little of adrenaline rush is fun and pleasant. Meanwhile stay aware of the consequences and refrain from gambling.

Emotional Self-care

Compassion

Be kind and polite towards others. Involve yourself in charitable endeavors and give back to the society. Also, try to be understanding of others life, personal difficulties and emotions and offer help whenever you can.

Self-forgiveness

Forgiving yourself for past mistakes and misgivings is a huge part of healing oneself and having a happier mindset. Make amends and rest easy in the fact that you did the best you could with whatever was available in your emotional and intellectual toolbox in any given situation.

Pets

Include members of the animal kingdom into your family. Take precautions, do your own research and get trained in handling and taking care of pets will broaden your horizons of love and knowledge.

Entertainment

Make sure your choices of entertainment are healthy and truly relaxing. Enjoying yourself is supposed to be done in a natural way through a positive medium. Make sure your leisure activities do not eat up your productive time.

Socialize

Choose to communicate and expand your circle of contacts and acquaintances to have a wider exposure. Explore and try to understand about life in different communities and different places of the world. Network wisely, gain knowledge through it and incorporate positive aspects of it in your life.

Affirmations

Having a positive self-talk habit is as important as having a positive outlook towards life. Manifest positive outcomes to every action that you take. Try to develop the ‘glass half full’ attitude and apply it to everyday life situations.

Self-gifting

Reward yourself once in a while for trying your best and being your authentic self. Indulge once in a while in appreciating yourself with gifts or helpful activities. Self gifting is an act of self-love which should not be overlooked.

Emote

Holding up your emotions and being inexpressive is a very unhealthy practice. Express yourself and your vulnerabilities with your dear and trusted ones can alleviate your stress levels. Opening up once in a while to somebody or taking some private time to process your own emotions are a great solution to relax your nerves.

Love

Express your love to your loved ones. Be open in communicating and conveying your affection, giving and receiving love. Life is too short and precious to carry around bottled up emotions.

Psychological Self-care

Communicate

Get comfortable with asking for and receiving help. Conveying messages and being smart about it is a great skill in itself. Good communication makes life easier.

Positive thoughts

Try to focus on the good side of things at any given situation. Expect the best outcomes while preparing for the worst. Life gets easier if you let yourself be in your best mood.

Rejuvenate yourself

Calm your nerves and take personal measures to not get worn out and drain yourself of your energy and mental stamina. Taking short breaks at work or meditating for a few minutes can be helpful.

Balance exposure

Brace yourself and be vigilant about the events and people you show up to. Exposing yourself to people with unhealthy habits/mindsets can be bad for you. Also be careful about the people you share space with and the causes you participate in. The are a huge contributing factor to your psychological well being.

Gratitude

Take time off each day to thank the Gods and the universe for all the good things you have/had in your life. Appreciating even the simple things like food, water supply, options and opportunities fill you up with positivity.

Document

Write down your life. Journaling is an effective way of converting your thoughts into words and later analyzing them from a second person point of view will help to give insight into the kind of changes you want in yourself. Maintaining a diary of important events and significant thoughts is also a helpful activity.

Expression through Arts

Do some activity that you love and be creative about it. Dig into the basic inclinations of yourself and find out what makes you most happy. Dabble yourself in dance forms, musicals, painting, cultural activities, designing etc. Expressing your ideas and messages can be done in any possible way you want.

Therapy

You can take the help of professionals in case of extreme distress or whenever you need expert help in coping with an unusual life situation. You can take the help of psychologists, energy healers, spiritual guidance services, meditation/yoga gurus etc. Beware of getting exploited by fake professionals during vulnerable times.