Self-Care Is A Necessity, Not A Luxury
The older we get the more things we have to take care of. Work, bills, friends, family, aspirations outside of work, etc. We always put ourselves at the end of the list, and put off things we want to do, but…what if we re-arranged that list of ours? Challenge yourself to build space on that to-do list of yours for things you want to do! The concept of burning out is not only limited to work. Make sure you don’t forget to prioritize self-care. I have a few tips that could help you with building some quality self-care time into your daily to-do list.
1) Start small! Find small pockets of time in your day to do what makes you happy. And no, listening to music in the car on your way to and from work does not count! For me, I like to read, but between work and life, there was never really any time for it. So, I built in some time in my schedule to read for 30 minutes Monday-Friday during my lunch break. It allowed me to get back to reading while also helping to reduce stress. Building time in your daily routine not only helps you get back to doing things you usually don’t find time to do, but it really helps you slow down and re-set. You’d be surprised what 30 minutes a day can do to help you re-charge and come back to center.
2) Treat yourself once a month. This can involve a dinner at your favorite place, booking a massage, a full day at the nail salon, or whatever makes you happy! Just make sure you take time to spoil yourself every now and then. You work hard and overcome what life throws at you. At this age, no one is going to pat you on the back, so…do it yourself. Splurge on yourself every now and then. It’s good for the soul and you know it’ll be something you’ll enjoy. Mind you, I said every now and then, not every week lol.
3) Listen to your body. A lot of us are trying to figure out how to achieve that version of success we want. Success doesn’t happen overnight, and a lot of us are feeling the pressure to figure out how to achieve that success before having a midlife crisis. Most of us want to retire early doing what it is we are passionate about. That being said, it can be easy to focus so much on what we have to accomplish next, that we forget to focus on our body. As cliché as it sounds, taking care of your body is important. When you take time to properly re-charge, you set yourself up to be more productive. If your body is telling you it needs a break, listen. Your body is not that different from a flower. It needs sun, water, and good nutrition. Treat yourself like a prize, and success is yours for the taking.
Self-care is more than just a notion about pampering yourself. It really is prioritizing how to properly care for yourself so that you can put your best foot forward in whatever you choose to do. When you make sure your mind and body are taken care of, you’d be surprised at how much more you can achieve while still getting to enjoy life.
-S|20