Even before the pandemic, the concept of self-care was a topic with a lot of buzz. Let’s take a more in depth look at self- care and answer some of the most asked questions.  

What Is Self-Care?

Self-care is the act of taking care of our physical, mental, and emotional health. It’s something we actively plan rather than something that just randomly happens. It is the act of giving to ourselves.

Why Is It Important?

It’s important for our overall well-being to restore, recharge and refresh ourselves. If we don’t take care our ourselves and pay attention to our needs, we are not in a good place to contribute and care for others, loved ones, our community, or at work.

Is Self-Care Selfish?

Many of us confuse self-care with being selfish. Self-care is the positive actions we choose that support, enhance, and improve our overall wellness and health. Being selfish are negative actions at the expense of others.

What are some examples of self-care and how do we incorporate them into our daily life?

14 Ways to Start A Self Care Routine at Home

1. Establish a self-care routine – Plan to set aside some time each day for self-care activities. Since this is not a one-size fits all plan, the amount of time and activities you choose will be totally personalized and customized specifically for you.  Start by adding one relaxing activity and one fun activity each day.
2. Limit watching or listening to the news – while it’s very important to know what’s going on around us, watching or listening to the news all day long or for extended periods of time increase stress and could bring on feelings of helplessness. The idea here is to be kind to ourselves, create a serene and secure environment.
3. Stay Hydrated

   

   With so many of our regular routines disrupted, it’s easy to forget to drink our fluids. What are the idea things we should be drinking? Water, green tea, and coffee (limit caffeinated beverages to 2-3 cups per day)

   RELATED: Check out my post, How To Increase Your Daily Water Intake.

4. Pray and/or meditate

   

   Whether you believe in God or a Higher being or not, getting in touch with your inner self, spirit and soul goes beyond religious beliefs. Taking time to relax our mind, body, and shutting off the noise of the world around us can be really refreshing. There’s a lot of scientific research done on the effects of “being spiritual” on overall health. Here is a fantastic article in Psychology today, discussing the health benefits of spirituality.
5. Laugh

   

   Reading funny jokes, a great comedy, or watching old sitcoms, laughter helps us forget our troubles for a while and enjoy ourselves. Helpguide.org, is a great resource that shows just how good laughter is for our health. It’s a great read. Take some time to check out their website. There’s lots of great information.
6. Get some sleep

   

   Making sure we get enough rest is so important. The National Sleep Foundation has all sorts of resources related to sleep. We should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep daily.
7. Eat healthy and nutritious food

   

   Add more fresh veggies and fruit, limit sugar, carbohydrate, and processed food.
8.  Get Your Move On!  Moving around, aka, physical activity, aka exercise is one of those topics we all KNOW is good for us, but many of us put it on the back burner. Especially when are we cooped up at home, it may not be the most ideal environment, but moving around really DOES help us physically, mentally, and emotionally. RELATED: Check out my post, March into Exercise, Try these 7 Tips,  The National Institute on Aging offers a great YouTube Video workout. This 14-minute video features 7 strength, flexibility, and balance exercises that older adults can perform in various places around the house using everyday materials. The Go4Life Campaign from the National Institute on Aging focuses on encouraging older adults to make exercise and physical activity a part of their daily life.
9. Crafts or Hobbies – Is there a craft or hobby you enjoy? Consider scheduling some time to get that scrapbook finished, start that crossword puzzle, etc. you get the idea.
10. Read

    

    Remember that book you’ve been hearing so much about, or your favorite magazine? Add this relaxing activity into your self-care plan.
11. Journal Writing

    

    Keeping a journal is another way to get your thoughts out. Writing has long been recognized as very therapeutic.
12. Listen to music

    

    Another enjoyable activity that’s very soothing for our soul.
13. Color or Draw –

    

    Adult coloring books are all the rage. Studies have shown that coloring is an excellent activity for our mental health. It gives us a sense of nostalgia when we were children learning how to color with crayons, it’s a way to express our creative side and shifts our attention to focus and concentrate on the skills needed to color and draw which in turn allows us to disconnect from the hectic world around us. JustColor.net offers over 1500 free printable coloring pages. There are many adult coloring book options available in stores and online. I’ve included a link to an Adult Coloring Book Available on Amazon.
14. Spa type treatments

    

    There are many male and female focused ways to bring the salon into your home. Try face masks, hair masks, manicure, pedicure, applying makeup, hair styling, bubble bath, skin treatments, etc., These are just a few examples of the many ways these types of treatments help us relax and decompress.

Be well, take care, and enjoy!