With the tough year we’ve had so far in 2020, self-care has been widely discussed about, to ensure that we are on the right state of mind despite all that has happened. As we live in the midst of a pandemic, with more stress and anxiousness, it is essential that we make an effort to take extra care of ourselves. Since most of us have switched to working from home, we now have more time on hand, there is no excuse for us to neglect our mental and physical health.
Before working on self-care, it is important to first learn about self-love. Self-love is a journey to cultivate gratitude and acceptance toward ourselves. We often forget to put ourselves as the top priority, forget to treat ourselves like how we treat our loved ones. With self-love, we will feel a greater sense of appreciation towards life and without us noticing, we will have a more positive perspective to everything that happens. The way we react to tough situations will have a huge improvement.
There are many ways for you to begin on this journey and one of the easiest options is to change the way you talk to yourself. Start with positive affirmations daily, learn to be your biggest cheerleader, support yourself through the toughest times and celebrate all the small wins. There are many positive affirmations that you can practice, focusing on the type of goal that you are working towards to. For starters, try telling yourself this every morning for a month – “I am in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. I am worthy enough to follow my dreams and manifest my desires.” You will be surprised at the results and how you feel after a month!
Another important point to take note is to not compare yourself to others. Everyone is on different journeys in life and we are all moving at a different pace. Do not beat yourself up if you have had a small set back in life. Treat it as a part of your journey to grow into a better person and trust in the process that you will get where you want to be. The only competition that we should have, is to be better than who we were yesterday. Commit to being a better version of yourself, not to be better than someone else in your life.
A gentle reminder that social media is only a place where people show their highlight reels. We are all humans who have downs in our life, and of course, not everyone will choose to show that side online. If you feel a sense of jealousy, anger, or have any negative feelings when using social media, try to do a technology detox for a day or for as long as you need. You may feel lighter with all these distractions and have better focus on your own life goals as well. This takes time to practice but it will be worth it in the end once you find your own worth.
To work on self-care, there are also many options you may try such as reading, doing a home facial, or getting a good workout in. The list goes on and this is not a one size fits all thing so pick what you love to do. By enjoying your self-care activities, you will be able to turn them into habits easily. This way, you will learn what puts you in a better mood and can do it whenever you feel stressed out in life.
On a daily basis, you can go out for a daily walk as it is beneficial for us to clock in some daily movement and also get in some sunlight vitamin (vitamin D). Staying too cooped up at home may affect our mood negatively even though we do not notice it. You can also try to do some meditation, journaling or breathwork to help calm your mind when you feel stressed out. Find a habit that you enjoy and helps you find clarity. Remember to drink enough water take some supplements to keep your body healthy and strong.
Although we would recommend building these small habits daily, give yourself a break when you need to and do not be too hard on yourself. This year is already tough enough, you don’t need to give yourself extra pressure. It is alright if you miss a day or two, as long as you stay accountable and get back on track. The point of this is to ensure that you feel happier and more relaxed.
On a weekly basis, find some time to give your loved ones a call to catch up with them if you are not comfortable to meet up physically. Videocall your friends and do some activities online together, there are actually a huge variety of games you can try with them. Remember to have some social interaction and let your loved one know if you have any concerns. Keeping any worries to yourself for too long is unhealthy too. You can also find one day out of the week to just relax and chill in your own space, indulging in your favourite dessert or catching up on your favourite show.
We hope that this helps you better understand the importance of self-love and self-care. We must take care of ourselves first, before trying to take care of others. By doing so, we will be able to cope with stressful situations better and make good decisions calmly. Similar to the instructions that we are given before a flight – if there is an emergency situation, we should put on our oxygen masks first before helping others. It is the same logic, we should always support others, but we must nurture ourselves first.
With a positive mindset, we will be able to overcome any obstacles in our life and even lend an extra hand when needed. By implementing both self-care and self-love habits into your life, will help you to build a more fulfilling lifestyle and balance your stress levels.