A couple days ago I realized that I never take a lunch break. I typically eat while I work which is very easy to do when working at a school. I was curious if anyone else does this so I posted a poll on my Instagram. To my surprise, the majority of the people voted that they take advantage of their lunch break. That's awesome! This is a great way to take care of yourself during the work day. So I decided that I will pause my work to eat in peace and go for a stroll outside around the school campus. I've been doing this for the past couple of days and it has been so calming for me. I didn't realize how that short break was so pertinent in rejuvenating me to finish out the day on a strong and positive note. I've noticed a difference in how I feel after lunch. I'm less tense, less stressed, and more motivated. I've been missing out on this feeling because I was more concerned about finishing my work than taking care of myself. I asked myself why am I killing myself for this job? I leave work feeling completely depleted of energy. If I were to get sick and couldn't work for an extended amount of time they would just find someone else to get the job done. I realized taking my lunch break will not inhibit me from accomplishing what I need to for the day. If anything, it replenishes my energy and helps me to tackle the rest of the day to the best of my ability. If there is anything that I am unable to accomplish by the end of the day I leave it for the next day. I never take work home. I find it's best to leave work at work and take care of yourself. You have to be intentional about taking care of your own needs. Self-care is any activity that you do deliberately in order to take care of your emotional, physical, and mental well-being. It is key in reducing stress and anxiety.
Do you ever find yourself so focused on taking care of everyone else but yourself? It is quite easy to do that when you're in a helping profession. We get so caught up in making sure that everyone around us is okay but often forget about ourselves. I'm here to remind you that it is okay to be selfish sometimes and put yourself first. If you don't take care of yourself who will? This thought reminds me of how flight attendants demonstrate how oxygen masks will drop in front of passengers during a crisis and how they instruct the adults to put their mask on first before placing it on a child. Yes, you should always help others, but you must help yourself too.
I had this realization about 4 years ago. I was in a place where I was feeling so low and my tank was empty. I would come home everyday emotionally and mentally exhausted from helping my clients. The stress of my job was just too much to bear at times. I was feeling like I was giving so much of myself to others that I had nothing left to give. It was a terrible feeling especially since I love helping others but I was depriving myself of my needs. I didn't want to live my life feeling that way every single day anymore. So I decided to do something about it. I created a self-care plan that I've stuck with ever since. I started out with one thing on my list which was getting my nails (hands and feet) done biweekly. Overtime, I've added to this list and it has improved my overall wellbeing. I'd like to share it with you all.
Exercise- I've been consistently working out a minimum of 3 times a week for about a year now. I'm really proud of myself because it's not my favorite thing to do but it is very necessary. I must admit that it has improved my sleep, mood, and decreased my stress and anxiety. I feel much happier after leaving the gym after a long and stressful day at work.
Sleep- My friends call me a grandma because during the weekdays I am in bed by 9pm but it is a must for me. I have to get 8 hours of sleep every night in order for me to function optimally. I find that I get the best sleep when I am in bed before 10 and wake up naturally without an alarm 8 hours later.
Cleaning- I love to clean! It is a great stress-reliever for me. Whenever I see that my place is getting cluttered or dirty I know that something is going on with me emotionally/mentally and I'm not in my best mental state. It's amazing how de-cluttering significantly improves that!
Massages- I had a standing massage appointment at Massage Envy for a couple of years but that started to get quite expensive. So now I get massages as a treat to myself about every couple of months. If you've never gotten a full body massage you are certainly missing out!
Words of Affirmation- This is one of my love languages. I have written down several affirmations on sticky notes that I've placed around the mirror in my bathroom. I read them every time I use the restroom. It serves as encouragement that I need when things get crazy and I don't necessarily feel the best about myself. I say these positive words to myself because I may not hear it from others daily.
Connecting with Others- At least once a week I make sure to connect with a friend whether via phone or hanging out. This is something that has become very important to me since I live alone. Human connection brings fulfilment and is imperative for my overall well-being. Surrounding myself with people who are supportive of my needs helps to fill my tank.
Traveling- I believe a change of scenery every now and then is good for the soul. I tend to get antsy when I am in one place for too long so I typically travel somewhere about every other month. Having a trip to look forward to whether near or far to get away and temporarily leave behind life-stressors is so important to me. I find having a countdown until my next trip helps me to make it through each week.
Manicure/Pedicure- As I mentioned, having a standing nail appointment biweekly is really important to me. It is such a calming place for me from the soothing music, the foot and hand massages, to catching up with my nail tech. Plus I feel great afterward having cute nails to look at daily.
Creative Outlets- I enjoy singing, dancing, writing, and painting. I make sure to do at least one of these things daily. It brings me so much joy and serves as a stress-reducer.
Entertainment- This could be doing something fun or doing something as simple as watching television or reading a book/article. I practice this daily. Getting lost in a book or a show after work helps me to recharge. I also treat myself most weekends by making sure that I have something planned to do that's fun whether it's with friends or by myself.
I hope that my self-care list has given you some ideas as to how to better take care of yourself. Perhaps you already do some of these things and didn't realize that it is self-care. I know life gets busy and it's easy to put your needs on the back burner especially if you have a family to take care of, but you are important too. I've learned that you have to be intentional about taking care of yourself and having an outlet. Start with creating a list of things you enjoy doing and adding a few of these activities to your schedule weekly. I promise you will feel a difference.
Do you have a self-care plan/list? What's on your list? Have you been consistent with implementing your self-care plan?
Do you ever find yourself so focused on taking care of everyone else but yourself? It is quite easy to do that when you're in a helping profession. We get so caught up in making sure that everyone around us is okay but often forget about ourselves. I'm here to remind you that it is okay to be selfish sometimes and put yourself first. If you don't take care of yourself who will? This thought reminds me of how flight attendants demonstrate how oxygen masks will drop in front of passengers during a crisis and how they instruct the adults to put their mask on first before placing it on a child. Yes, you should always help others, but you must help yourself too.
I had this realization about 4 years ago. I was in a place where I was feeling so low and my tank was empty. I would come home everyday emotionally and mentally exhausted from helping my clients. The stress of my job was just too much to bear at times. I was feeling like I was giving so much of myself to others that I had nothing left to give. It was a terrible feeling especially since I love helping others but I was depriving myself of my needs. I didn't want to live my life feeling that way every single day anymore. So I decided to do something about it. I created a self-care plan that I've stuck with ever since. I started out with one thing on my list which was getting my nails (hands and feet) done biweekly. Overtime, I've added to this list and it has improved my overall wellbeing. I'd like to share it with you all.
Exercise- I've been consistently working out a minimum of 3 times a week for about a year now. I'm really proud of myself because it's not my favorite thing to do but it is very necessary. I must admit that it has improved my sleep, mood, and decreased my stress and anxiety. I feel much happier after leaving the gym after a long and stressful day at work.
Sleep- My friends call me a grandma because during the weekdays I am in bed by 9pm but it is a must for me. I have to get 8 hours of sleep every night in order for me to function optimally. I find that I get the best sleep when I am in bed before 10 and wake up naturally without an alarm 8 hours later.
Cleaning- I love to clean! It is a great stress-reliever for me. Whenever I see that my place is getting cluttered or dirty I know that something is going on with me emotionally/mentally and I'm not in my best mental state. It's amazing how de-cluttering significantly improves that!
Massages- I had a standing massage appointment at Massage Envy for a couple of years but that started to get quite expensive. So now I get massages as a treat to myself about every couple of months. If you've never gotten a full body massage you are certainly missing out!
Words of Affirmation- This is one of my love languages. I have written down several affirmations on sticky notes that I've placed around the mirror in my bathroom. I read them every time I use the restroom. It serves as encouragement that I need when things get crazy and I don't necessarily feel the best about myself. I say these positive words to myself because I may not hear it from others daily.
Connecting with Others- At least once a week I make sure to connect with a friend whether via phone or hanging out. This is something that has become very important to me since I live alone. Human connection brings fulfilment and is imperative for my overall well-being. Surrounding myself with people who are supportive of my needs helps to fill my tank.
Traveling- I believe a change of scenery every now and then is good for the soul. I tend to get antsy when I am in one place for too long so I typically travel somewhere about every other month. Having a trip to look forward to whether near or far to get away and temporarily leave behind life-stressors is so important to me. I find having a countdown until my next trip helps me to make it through each week.
Manicure/Pedicure- As I mentioned, having a standing nail appointment biweekly is really important to me. It is such a calming place for me from the soothing music, the foot and hand massages, to catching up with my nail tech. Plus I feel great afterward having cute nails to look at daily.
Creative Outlets- I enjoy singing, dancing, writing, and painting. I make sure to do at least one of these things daily. It brings me so much joy and serves as a stress-reducer.
Entertainment- This could be doing something fun or doing something as simple as watching television or reading a book/article. I practice this daily. Getting lost in a book or a show after work helps me to recharge. I also treat myself most weekends by making sure that I have something planned to do that's fun whether it's with friends or by myself.
I hope that my self-care list has given you some ideas as to how to better take care of yourself. Perhaps you already do some of these things and didn't realize that it is self-care. I know life gets busy and it's easy to put your needs on the back burner especially if you have a family to take care of, but you are important too. I've learned that you have to be intentional about taking care of yourself and having an outlet. Start with creating a list of things you enjoy doing and adding a few of these activities to your schedule weekly. I promise you will feel a difference.
Do you have a self-care plan/list? What's on your list? Have you been consistent with implementing your self-care plan?
Thanks for sharing. I find that family socialization and the culture we are raised in can affect the framework we view self-care. Where there is enmeshment, there is always some guilt. In addition, I have observed ambitious and the desire for success, however it is defined, makes for guilt when time is taking away from desired goals
ReplyDeleteHi there! Thanks for reading and joining the discussion :). You are absolutely right. How one cares for themselves stems from their upbringing and cultural norms etc. It can definitely be tricky when it comes to that. I just want to serve a reminder to my readers that regardless of your views of self-care that you are important too. You deserve to give yourself the same love you give to others around you.
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