When we think about self-care, it’s easy to be romantic about the entire endeavor. For instance, we may imagine ourselves laying in a spa facility with cucumber slices over our eyes, or relaxing in a beautiful lotion-enriched bathtub listening to whale noises. Perhaps we’ll just think about taking a day off work so we can enjoy some self-care and personal mental health treatment. A great deal of worthwhile planning can make a profound difference here.
But it’s also worth considering the hidden elements of self-care that matter most, these are the daily, less romantic, and very practical steps we use to make sure our overall wellness is as good as it could be. For some, this can be as simple as enjoying a green tea after attending to the school run for our children. For others, it might mean listening to their favorite hour of classical music on the radio.
In this post, we’ll provide some simple, worthwhile, long-term habits that can ensure self-care remains an essential part of your daily planning:
Sustainability
If you can’t keep up with a regular self-care schedule, or if you take too much on at once, then sooner or later your entire effort will crash and burn and you may not pick it up again any time soon. This is why sustainability is so important.
For instance – let’s say that you hope to lose weight. Do you start running three miles every single day, only eat 1400 calories, stretch every single evening, and never eat an indulgent dessert again? Not at all. Taking on too much, despite your desire to change, is a one-way-ticket to feeling awful.
This is why it’s good to focus on sustainability and a forward path, often taking things a step at a time and doing so slowly. So, instead of running three miles, perhaps you could use a program like Couch 2 5k which is intended to help even non-runners finally get to grips with their running schedule, taking each session as it comes and slowly ramping up the pressure. Sustainable efforts like this (even if that means taking a cheat day from your diet from time to time), will help you make progress over the long run, rather than unsustainable short-term gains.
Nature Is Essential
Going out in nature is a great way to reconnect to yourself and how you feel personally, as opposed to feeling disconnected. If you live in a busy urban environment, this is also a great idea. Nature can help you feel more grounded, simple, and perceptive. Going for walks each day in the local park, perhaps with your dog, can be a great use of your time. Maybe instead of spending a free day sitting inside, you’ll take a book and some stale bread to the park, feeding the ducks as you turn the pages. Or, perhaps you’ll just take your best friend out for a lazy stroll when you can, helping you both with your walking strength and flexibility. If you don’t have nature in your life, being exposed to it once again can be as beneficial as starting an exercise or meditation program – so don’t be afraid to have fun.
Family Habits
Photo by Patricia Prudente on Unsplash
The habits that you undertake as a family will also have a deep impact on how you feel in general and how your most cherished companions grow. With Wayne Health, you can make sure a family-wide approach to health planning and care is guaranteed.
At home, you can also implement routines and practices that will benefit everyone in the long run. For instance, even making sure your teenager’s open their windows and that some plant-life is present will help them avoid turning that space into a dingy, dark environment, which is much better for their mental health.
On top of this, family habits like eating together will inspire conversation, and teaching our children to brush their teach correctly every morning and night can prevent cavities in the long run. Furthermore, the foods you choose to stock your refrigerator and cupboards with (some indulgences are okay), will generally influence what meals you cook, and what nutrition your family is afforded. With wholesome produce, you can save money and also make sure long-term care is more possible.
A Great Routine
A worthwhile routine is also a great use of your time. We mentioned that above when it comes to your family brushing their teeth, but this is so important it deserves its own category.
A routine can ensure your family knows when and where to be, and how to structure their day. This might be as simple as ensuring a curfew at a certain point, or simply keeping a worthwhile bedtime yourself, one that can be relied upon each and every day. A great routine may also help you wake up easier in the morning, and keep to your daily efforts (such as attending the gym), much more easily.
The power of routine is something that can help even the most unreliable person keep to a consistent schedule, and so following that yourself (even if it just means you have ten minutes to read each night based on how busy your schedule is), will be contributive and helpful in the long run.
A Positive Attitude & Sense Of Humor
It’s quite bizarre being on this planet and having to deal with a human life, and so it’s good for the soul to laugh at it a little. This might be some morning levity such as laughing at yourself that you slipped on the driveway ice (with no injuries, thankfully), or chuckling the next time you say ‘you too!’ once someone wishes you a happy birthday.
It’s easy to say ‘just have a positive attitude!’ but largely, the attitude we choose to curate is more under our control than we think. The healthy processing of emotions sometimes requires it.
With this advice, you’re certain to implement the hidden elements of self-care that matter most. Perhaps you’ll also begin to add more to this list as time goes on.
Read more lifestyle and healthy living articles at ClichéMag.com
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