In the age of the internet, many people carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. From devastating wildfires to viruses, it often seems like each day brings a wealth of new and frightening stories about the world. While it can feel like tuning it all out is impossible, taking a break from the world and focusing on yourself is a very wise decision. Self-care is a modern concept that often gets used to sell personal care products, but it actually is a practice that should be followed now and again by everyone.
Tending to the needs of your body, mind, and soul helps you live a more fulfilling life. Get a feel for different ways to implement self care during trying times and find a routine that works for you.
Count Your Blessings
Though many rituals for self-care involve the body, there are several ways to include the mind and spirit. At the end of each evening before you go to bed, get in the habit of writing out five things you enjoyed about the day. This won’t always be easy, especially on a truly awful day. You might need to really work to find positive details, but this is part of the point. You are forcing yourself to focus on nice things before you fall asleep.
Part of taking care of yourself is getting a full night’s rest. When you have proper sleeping habits, you will perform better throughout your day, experience better moods, and keep your immune system sharp. Unfortunately, plenty of people have difficulty falling asleep because they toss, turn, and fixate on negative thoughts. Writing out positive aspects of your day reduces the odds of losing sleep over a tiny negative detail.
Find Reasons To Move
Modern living can be sedentary. Whether you sit at a desk all day or lounge on the couch for hours and look at your phone, it can be easy to forget to move. The body is constructed for movement and is capable of accomplishing a lot. What’s more, the body encourages movement by releasing hormones that create good feelings when it is engaged in physical activities. To get into a routine for self-care, remember to move. It doesn’t matter if you dance alone in your living room or take a run around the park, you need to move.
Sitting for too long is very bad for your health. Recent reports have even compared sitting to unhealthy habits like smoking. By finding a reason to move for at least 30 continuous minutes each day, you’re making a serious effort to put your self-care first.
Play With Aromatherapy
Sensory experiences can do wonders for making a person feel calm, collected, and happy. Scent, for example, powerfully influences mood. Plenty of experts in the realm of self-care mention the importance of lighting scented candles. This isn’t just for creating mood. By selecting the right scents, you can turn a foul disposition completely around. Scent is connected to memory, so the specific smells that make you feel good will vary depending on your personal experiences. Still, scents like lavender, lemon, and rosemary have been observed to produce a positive mood in a majority of people.
Enjoy Your Morning
Living a busy life doesn’t always leave room to enjoy the small things. Still, studies show that giving yourself a moment to wake up, eat breakfast, and prepare for the day can do wonders for your mood. This routine can also encourage a sense of focus on what you need to accomplish during your day, which may help you avoid blindly rushing through tasks.
While self-care can be about nourishing facial masks and relaxing baths, there are other ways to show yourself a bit of love. Explore a variety of different ideas to find the habits that help you achieve a sense of wellness.