How often do you make time for yourself? And I mean proper time for yourself? Once a week, once a month or maybe you can't remember the last time you took time for yourself. When you take care of yourself, you are not only benefiting you but you are benefitting others around you as well. There are 5 pillars to self care: physical, lifestyle, mental, spiritual and people. So, today I want to share with you the lifestyle side of looking after yourself and how you can find that everlasting need to take time for you.
Structure/Routine -
You are looking after yourself by having structure to your day. A lot of things can change in the day but by having the same wake up and bed time, a similar morning and night routine, you are allowing yourself the little bit of structure that you need in order to show up and be present for lives challenges and successes. It also gives you positive emotions when you have something you can stick to and complete every day. Some positive emotions you may feel are: satisfaction, motivation and achievement all of which put you in a positive mind frame for the day ahead.
Relaxation -
It is important to take time out. Set aside one afternoon, evening, morning or day to relax and not do a lot and don't feel guilty for this! You deserve time out to read your book, watch a film, listen to music, meditate, have a pamper night etc. Do whatever you feel like doing that will relax you and make you feel at peace and ready to start again.
Setting Goals -
I talk a lot about setting goals on my blog so I have linked some previous posts about how to set and plan your goals but by having goals in your life to work towards is a form of self care. You're giving yourself something to focus on, something to aim to achieve and by completing these goals you will receive great satisfaction. Take time to think about what you want to achieve. It doesn't have to be big, it could be something like walking for 30 minutes a day or eating 5 pieces of fruit or veg daily. Whatever you set yourself, make sure you work towards it and try your very best to achieve it.
Time is Nature -
I interpreted this tip in two different ways. One way is that time is changing and progressing and so is the seasons therefore giving a gentle reminder that the time you have now will not be given back to you so make the most of the time you have now to better serve you in the future. Or another interpretation would be spending more time in nature. Taking in your surroundings when you go out for a walk/run/cycle and making sure you use every opportunity that you have to enjoy the outdoors.
Whether you use one or both of these interpretations, make sure that you use them well as they will both provide you with a great deal of satisfaction once complete.
Pleasure -
Hobbies. It is so so so important to have hobbies. We spend our days and weeks rushing here, there and everywhere to meet other peoples expectations or goals but we don't often spend time on ourselves and what we want to achieve. So take some time out to play the piano, do some gardening, knit a scarf or whatever your hobby may be as it is important to have something where our mind can focus on something else and not feel as though we are constantly on the go.
I hope these 5 tips have helped you in making your self care routine more varied and beneficial. Let me know in the comments 1 self care tip that you just cannot live without
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