Do you feel like you’re overly focused on work lately that you forget to address your own needs?
Do you have the desire to slow down and take care of yourself more, but don’t know where to get started?
If so, you came to the right place.
Being busy and living with stress has become the norm in modern society, and many entrepreneurs and business owners are being diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues today more than ever. Whether or not you’re running a successful business, you have a happy family and great friends, you’ll always find it difficult to be fulfilled if you’re always ignoring your own needs and desires.
Fortunately, I know that practicing self-care is generally not easy for everyone, and that’s why I’ve compiled the following tips to help you out:
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness simply refers to being aware of your thoughts and actions in the present moment, and it is something you can practice around the clock. Among other things, this practice helps in boosting concentration, reducing stress, and increasing productivity. You can get started by taking small, one-hour breaks to simply acknowledge where you are and the way you’re feeling. You can even make it a routine to practice gratitude, which involves being thankful for any small or big aspect in your life.
Today, give yourself a time-out to be still and focus on your thoughts and needs; perform a quick body scan to understand how every part of your body is feeling while being present in the moment.
Incorporate a movement session into your program
According to research, regular exercise is one of the best self-care methods to try because it helps in controlling emotions, self-regulating, de-stressing, and increasing mental clarity. On top of that, the practice can improve your mood, help you lose weight, and increase your energy levels.
The question is, how do you make time for exercise if you’re always busy?
All you need to do is evaluate your schedule; look for a time when you don’t have a lot of work to do. For instance, your schedule may comprise meetings on Mondays and Fridays, office work on Tuesdays, fieldwork on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and family time on Saturdays and Sundays. However, after a careful assessment, you may realize that you have about three hours of free time on Fridays after the meeting and about two hours on Wednesdays and Sundays. In this case, you can take advantage of these times to practice Yoga, simple cardiovascular exercises, or even some low-intensity strength training workouts.
Just remember to treat your exercise sessions like work meetings. You can also reward yourself with small things, such as luxurious lotions and body wash products from Always Be Royal or a similar high-quality brand to help you stick to the exercise routine.
Take regular walks during busy days
During your busy days, try to squeeze in a 15-minutes to help you relax and reset. You can do this between your meetings, just before lunchtime, or sometime during the afternoons. When you’re ready, simply get up, walk outside and then go back to work. Doing this simple activity regularly can go a long way towards keeping your stress levels low and boosting your productivity.
Be more assertive about your boundaries
Sometimes, we get bogged down by commitments to our friends, family members, or co-workers that we accept without considering our capacity to handle them. If you often face the same problem, deliberately saying “no” to requests and commitments is all you may require to boost your self-care and live more peacefully. Self-care means placing your preferences and well-being above other people’s to avoid putting yourself facing stress or in emotionally challenging situations.
Of course, when you start saying “no,” you will experience some resistance from different people, and you should expect that. Just keep in mind the fact that people thrive by being assertive about their needs and boundaries.
From being happier, more fulfilled, and sleeping better to achieving better concentration, mental clarity, and emotional balance, there are many ways self-care can benefit you today. To get started, follow the tips above. Within a few weeks, you should be feeling less anxious, less stressed, and more balanced.
