More Ways to Practice Self-Care!

With the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine during this pandemic, we’ve seen the world slowly start to open up after a year and some months of being shut down. Things are beginning to ramp up – schools are opening, jobs are hiring, and our lives seem to be getting busier and busier. Because of this, we end up forgetting to take care of ourselves. Hopefully, this can be a reminder to practice self-care!

First off, what is self-care? Well, as mentioned in Kerryn Xu’s Self-Care Tuesday post, “Self-care refers to any activities that you find enjoyable and improves your mental, spiritual, physical, or emotional health in some way.” Though it incorporates the word “self,” self-care is not a selfish activity, and actually works to keep you happy and healthy as you live your life.

Remember that you are unique, so not every self-care practice is fitting; just do whatever you think works best for you! Kerryn’s post goes over a few self-care practices already, but the following list contains a few more common self-care practices you can try out:

• Eat Healthy!

A lot of times, our schedules feel packed, and we don’t make time to eat the daily three meals. If this is your case, try organizing your day and giving yourself time to eat. Eating all three meals is important, and it is even encouraged to eat healthy snacks in between meals! If you’re really racing against the clock, make sure to eat a healthy breakfast and have some filling, healthy snacks until you find time to eat. Eating the proper three meals a day (and making them healthy) gives you the energy you need to go about the rest of your day!

• Stay Hydrated!

Similarly to meals, we tend to forget about staying hydrated throughout the day. Staying hydrated is super important; water is what keeps our bodies functioning, as it works with so many systems throughout our bodies. For example, water keeps our skin healthy and works with digestion! Try to take a water bottle whenever you go out or keep one near you when you stay home as a reminder to drink. You can even set goals and plan to drink a certain amount every hour to reach what is recommended! However, finding the recommended amount of water you need is specific to your body, so research to see how much you should be drinking.

• Avoid Stress!

Now, avoiding stress is easier said than done, but here are some tips to start! Be aware of your own triggers and learn to avoid them as best you can. It’s also important to take breaks, whether it be resting your head midway through a challenging assignment or a pause on social media. It’s important to know your limits as well – say no to things that will cause you more stress or put unwanted pressure on you. If you ever feel stressed by something you need to complete, take baby steps! It’s important to remember that any effort is still an effort. Avoiding stress and stressful situations is key to remaining content, so try to use these tips to so do!

• Relax!

If you ever find yourself with some free time, try to relax! You live a busy life, it’s okay to calm down and rest for some time. During your time off, consider doing things that you enjoy or things that help you unwind. For example, run yourself a nice, warm bath after returning from work or practice playing your guitar after you get out from school. I personally love to get cozy and watch some of my favorite movies! There are countless ways to de-stress – just do whichever one(s) work for you!

At the end of the day, self-care is something that keeps us happy and grounded as we go through our lives, and it’s important to do it as often as you can or whenever you feel you need it! Thanks for tuning in, and take care of yourself!

Inspiration: https://ibpf.org/articles/50-ways-to-start-practicing-self-care/