What is Self-Care?
It’s pretty self-explanatory, right? To me, it means taking care of myself. I also refer to it as—me time, down time, personal time. Call it anything you want just make sure it’s something you do on purpose and with the intention of taking care yourself. This can be done in many different ways. The way I do it, is by first of all being self-aware about the fact I need to take some time out and take care of myself. If I feel drained, tired, or stressed, this will negatively affect my work, my mental wellbeing and my relationships. As a life-coach, I’m taking care of others, so this is a must for me. I love self-care, it’s how I keep myself sane and not to mention healthy and energized, now more than ever! Every time I do something good for my body and soul, it makes me happy.
Hiking
One of my favorite ways to practice self-care is to hike. I absolutely love hiking. It is one of the ways I stay active, I connect with nature and its beauty, and it always makes me feel accomplished, especially on more difficult hikes or hikes I do for the first time. While on hikes, I find it easier to process what is going on around me and helps clear my mind of negative thoughts. I find so much clarity, which ultimately allows my mind and body to relax.
Exercise
Another way is to exercise. Since I can’t possibly go on a hike every single day, I aim for some type of daily physical activity. Whether it’s walking my dogs, going to a nearby trail for a longer walk or a light jog, or going to the gym to get an intense workout. All of these activities positively affect my mood and energy levels. It’s easy to implement physical activity. You can start with brisk walks. If you have kids, have them join you if possible, maybe on their bikes. Make it fun! This is such a nice way to get them some exercise and fresh air. Try to do something that is easy to implement into your daily lives as well as easy to maintain. If you must be indoors, use what you have. Fancy equipment or a gym membership is not required to get your physical activity. I went years without a gym membership and simply used what I had available to me, and outdoors is always available. And these days, with so many exercise apps, YouTube and social media profiles dedicated to in-home exercise, surely you can find something that suits your needs. Yoga is another great way to get exercise. Just find something that you like and works for you.
Take care of yourself first
Getting some type of physical activity everyday is essential for our wellbeing. Not only will you feel better due to the body releasing the feel good chemicals called endorphins, but regular physical activity has also been proven to help with reducing stress levels, boosting your self-esteem and confidence, and improving sleep. All of which I can attest to. There are tons of other benefits but these are the main ones associated with feeling good, and self-care is all about feeling good. When we take care of ourselves, we are more efficient and we can also take better care of others. So, it’s important to prioritize time for self-care. What’s your favorite self-care activity?
I’ll be sharing more of my favorite self-care activities on Instagram and Facebook @viziontrak so make sure to follow me.
Leave your comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to receive new posts right in your inbox! Share with someone who needs to read this.
