Self care is an important, yet often overlooked part of anyone’s life.
Life can be plain old stressful and overwhelming sometimes, and in case you missed it, stress isn’t good for you! Stress can contribute to multiple health problems including headaches, weakened immune system, insomnia, depression and anxiety, high blood pressure, weakened sex drive and tense muscles just to name a few.
It’s really important to include some self-care in your life so that you can manage all of life’s stressors and avoid all of these terrible health issues! I know, I know… I hear you saying “But Kortney, I’m too busy. How am I going to fit in self-care?”
I get it. But you must make time for self care. It is so important.
In this post, I’m giving you ten ways you can take care of yourself when you’re stressed. There are literally hundreds of ways to take care of yourself, so if none of these resonate with you, head over to google or Pinterest and search for “self care”. You’ll find more ideas than you know what to do with!
Are you someone who needs permission to practice self care? Do you feel guilty taking time for yourself when there are a million things on your to do list? Or other people to take care of? Do you feel like taking a break from the to do list is lazy, or that you’re wasting precious time if you spend some on yourself?
Is this you?
Here’s what I want you to do:
Get out a piece of blank paper or post-it note. On it, I want you to write yourself a permission slip for spending some time on yourself. You can make it look however you like… feel free to get creative! Your permission slip should spell out how much time for self care you’re giving yourself.
Here’s an idea for text: “I, Kortney, give myself permission to practice SELF CARE for 20 minutes daily.” Sign it and everything.
Here are some ideas for your self-care practice:
Get some exercise
Walking, running, hiking, yoga – exercise in almost any form can be a great stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins.
Listen to some calming music
Whatever floats your boat. I’d try to avoid death metal, but something that calms and relaxes you is perfect. Combine with a bubble bath and candles, perhaps a glass of wine!
Journal
Not everyone loves journaling, but I enjoy it. I’m a visual person, so getting my thoughts on paper (or on my computer) helps me process. Write about what’s stressing or overwhelming you. What thoughts and feelings do you have around that? Brainstorm some things that might help lighten the load.
Brain dump – get it all on paper
Similar to journaling, brain dumping a to do list helps me a lot. If I don’t do this, I feel like all of the “to dos” are swirling around in my head in one chaotic mess.
This can work for things other than to do lists. For example, my daughter is a high-anxiety kid, and if she has too much that she’s worried about in her brain, she shuts down. I’ve taken to “brain dumping” what she’s afraid of. Once I have the list on paper, we go through item by item and come up with a solution for each fear. Inevitably, there are some that aren’t really “solvable” – the ones that are out of her control – so we have to talk about how to just roll with those.
Take a legit lunch break
When was the last time you took the time to sit somewhere quiet and eat lunch without trying to work at the same time or get something else done at the same time? Take time to savor each bite being mindful of how it feels to chew your food. It may sound silly, but it is a very meditative practice.
Call a friend
Community and connection is HUGE in dealing with stress. When you reach out, be authentic. Don’t hide the fact that you’re stressed or overwhelmed. Chances are your pal is feeling the same way about something in her life.
Meditate – don’t judge your thoughts
Now before you say, “but Kortney, I don’t have time to meditate”, or “I can’t sit still for that long”, or “I can’t focus on nothing for that long”, know that meditation can be a variety of things. Do you have 5 minutes?
One thing you need to know about meditating is that it is difficult. Most people have racing thoughts at first, but the point is to observe those thoughts. Just let them be there. Who decides if the thoughts are good or bad? You do. And when you judge them as bad, it causes stress. Take them as neutral. They just are. If someone handed you a ball, and you had never seen a ball before, you wouldn’t know if it was a big ball or a small ball until you had another ball to compare it to. Same thing with your thoughts.
Take a bubble bath
This can go along with listening to some calming music. Pair with a glass of wine and/or a book and you have a slice of heaven.
Get some fresh air
Research shows that exposing your lungs to fresh air, as well as the scents of flowers and plants can help relieve stress and anxiety. Oxygen is thought to increase serotonin levels in the body, which contributes to feelings of relaxation and happiness.
Get a pedicure
Do I need to say more? If you have a nail place with great massage chairs, even better!
Practice Gratitude
Some people scoff at practicing gratitude saying it doesn’t help, but I promise you, if you do it over and over, making it a habit, it really does help your default mindset shift from negative to positive, and working on a positive mindset is practicing self care.
By the way, if you haven’t downloaded it yet, I have a free workbook called How to Be Happy: 3 Simple Practices That Will Change Your Life. It addresses gratitude and mindfulness and you might find it helpful. You can download that HERE.
So there you have it. Your assignments?
- Create a permission slip for yourself. Keep it where you can see it.
- Come up with some ways you can take care of yourself and relieve some stress in your life.
Also – one way to practice self care is to make it a habit. Download my FREE habit tracker here!
Will you share your experience with me? Comment below!
