Do you wish you could take better care of yourself, but don’t feel like there are enough hours in the day? Finding time for self-care may feel impossible in a world full of distractions and when there is always more to be done. Yet there are simple tweaks you can make to your daily routine to take better care of yourself.
These five self care tips will also help you to make better use of your precious time:
1. H.A.L.T.
The acronym was created as a reminder for people battling addictive behaviors, but it is also a helpful tool to assess if our daily needs are being satisfied. By assuring you never get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired throughout the day, you are able to make more thoughtful choices and advance your long term goals. So next time you feel unwell, remember HALT first and see if your basic needs are being met.
2. Meditate
A simple way to slow down and show kindness to yourself is to take a few minutes to meditate. While you may imagine meditation is only possible in an idyllic environment, you can create this space anywhere. Try sitting in a comfortable position with your eyes closed or a soft gaze and taking 5 to 20 slow, deep breaths. This is an easy way to slow the mind and re-energize the body.
3. Drink Water
Staying hydrated is not only good for your health- it is good for your mind! Most people know the physical benefits of drinking plenty of water every day: it curbs food cravings, improves skin health and look, prevents dry mouth (bad breath) and flushes bacteria from the body. But drinking water also prevents mid-day fatigue and improves concentration, allowing for a more productive use of time and ultimately an improved sense of accomplishment.
4. Opt Off-line
There is much discussion about the negative impact of social media on our self-esteem, attention spans, and general wellbeing. Being active online is a wonderful tool for staying connected with loved ones, learning new information, or catching up on the latest news. But the highly filtered, action packed newsfeeds may leave you feeling left out or bored with yourself. Try taking scheduled breaks from social media or internet and use this free time to focus on yourself instead!
5. Learn Something New
When we learn new things the positive impacts can be exponential. Besides being a good exercise for our brains, there is a feeling of accomplishment, a sense of pride and the ability to contribute more broadly in conversation. Try to choose a podcast for your morning commute or an article before bed instead of scrolling through social media. Maybe even opt into your favorite therapy blog on self-care!
While these tools may sound simple, they may not all work for you. Each tool won’t work for every person, but the key is finding what works for you and sticking with it. Do you have some pointers of your own? Please join the conversation below by posting a comment!
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5 comments
I never thought of “learning something new” as a self care trick, but it makes sense and I think it is a wonderful and unique way to add to my self-care routine! I look forward to trying this and seeing the results. Thank you!
I have never heard of H.A.L.T. before. So helpful! I feel like we so often look for outside sources for our internal state when the first thing we should do is check in with ourselves.
Thank you for the reminder about the importance of HYDRATION and giving me more excellent reasons to focus on this! It is something I continue to work on, aiming to consistently meet my daily goals…`
Starting of each day with a brief seated meditation has been a really effective way to get centered, focused and sort through distractions and anxieties. 5-10 minutes of intentional attentiveness can set a positive tone for the day.
My sister was thinking about getting some self help videos for herself. She wants to know what the various benefits would be from doing this for herself. I think it would make her happy to know that she would learn something new. http://the200project.com/