Many people make New Year’s resolutions. However, instead of choosing one of the more common ones like losing weight, quitting smoking, and exercising more, why not take a different route and do some self-care for yourself every day.
Self-care is the discipline of taking care of your physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual well-being. It is a great resolution because it is doable no matter where you are in your life. Self-care focuses on what is best for you and where you are right now in life, rather than focusing just on exercise or worrying less for example. It is a great approach to becoming the best version of yourself.
Another great bonus is that you do not have to buy fancy equipment or invest in an expensive program. It is not about adding extra commitments to your schedule and more about making small changes within the routine you already have. This will help you reduce stress and worry in your life and increase your sense of well-being. Self-care is about making lifestyle changes that will have lasting effects rather than working toward a one-time goal.
Do Self-care Your Way
As we start our self-care routines, it is important to remember that at its core, practicing self-care is about attuning ourselves to what we need in order to be our best selves and then setting up healthy goals and boundaries that help us keep going even when it is hard. And this looks different for everyone. For some, doing yoga is a self-care routine, for others, it is a multi-step skincare routine. It could be setting up a monthly budget to ensure financial stability, prioritizing an early bedtime, or saying goodbye to toxic relationships. Self-care is about making choices for how you treat yourself and spend your time that prioritizes your well-being.
Change How You Start Your Morning
How you start your day can set the tone for the rest of the day. A rushed morning, where you wake up already feeling behind and have to hustle out the door without eating breakfast, is not a solid foundation to build a day for success. A morning where you can get ready in an unhurried way can help increase your chances of having a successful day.
Changing your morning does not mean you have to get up at 4 a.m. so that you have more hours to leisurely get ready. It is more about looking at your current morning routine and seeing what small changes you can make to help you be less stressed as you get ready.
Possibly your morning routine can run smoother if you prepare your breakfast and lunch the night before, or even prepare your meals for the week on a Sunday. It might be helpful to pack your bag the night before so you are not running around and grabbing things you need as you dash out of the door. Even getting up just 15 minutes earlier would help you get everything you need to get done in a less rushed way. Simple changes like these will help you set a positive tone for the rest of your day, no matter what you have to tackle.
Sleep Better
Getting enough sleep is associated with several physical and mental health benefits. Getting better sleep is a great self-care area to focus on. The average person should get between seven and nine hours of sleep.
If you are not getting enough sleep, there are some simple changes you can make to your sleep routine to help you wake up more rested. Try giving yourself about 20 extra minutes to fall asleep. We calculate the amount of sleep we are getting based on when we get into bed, but it takes roughly 20 minutes for the average person to actually fall asleep. When you know you have a good 30 minutes to fall asleep, it takes the pressure off of you having to fall asleep right now so that you can get enough rest.
Another change you could make is to incorporate calming activities into your nighttime routine. Reading, journaling, playing, and relaxing music are some great options.
Whether it is one of these suggestions or another self-care practice, focusing on your overall well-being is a great way to improve yourself in the year ahead. Focusing on a lifestyle change, rather than a goal you have to check off on your list, means that you are making a lasting change in your life for the better.
Have Fun
Our society assigns a great deal of importance to being busy and not enough on engaging in leisure activities. Work is important and necessary part of life, but we are not meant to never take a break. Most of us are not able to take a 10-day beach vacation but there are other ways to incorporate leisure into your life. Is there a hobby you wanted to try? Now is the time to do it. Or simply inviting a friend over for dinner or checking out a nearby community event. Just pick one thing to try and get you started and then go from there.
Move Your Body
Adding movement to your self-care routine can help rejuvenate your body and mind, leaving you feeling energized and focused. And the great thing is, there is no one exercise or movement practice that is better than the other, you can find what works for you. Finding a self-care activity you actually enjoy and can return to again and again is much more valuable for your routine than going for something particularly challenging. This means you can start adding movement with a hike on your favourite trail, longer walks outside, or going for a bike ride. For colder days, you can move inside and stretch, do yoga, or dance to some energizing music.
