Self-care is crucial, yet so often overlooked. There’s so much to do, how can you possibly just take a break from it all? Wouldn’t that be irresponsible? You’re overwhelmed with work as it is, so it would feel like you’re just slacking off if you took a time out to focus on yourself. Who has time to exercise or sit own to eat lunch?
Sound familiar? Let me ask you…
When was the last time you did something simply to help you relax?
It’s easy to let yourself fall into that trap of feeling too busy to take that time out to focus on you, but the more you overlook self-care, the closer you are to burning yourself out and being no good to anyone.
You can’t pour from an empty cup!
Before I share a few self-care tips with you, I want you to think about some of the reasons why you should start to prioritize taking care of yourself.
Why self-care is important:
Self-care prevents (and helps you manage) stress. A little stress is OK but eventually, years of stressful living can start to break down your body. (And your mind.) Start taking steps to look after yourself now, so you don’t become a victim of stress.- Self-care helps you focus. Taking breaks helps us come back to our work with a clear head and a new energy.
- Self-care prevents burn out. And burnout is a real thing, by the way. You’ll know it if/when you get there because you become completely frozen and unable to force yourself to do anything.
Self-care doesn’t have to be overly complicated. It really just comes down to finding ways to be kind to yourself on a daily basis. I would go so far as to recommend that you include a section on self-care in your business plan. (Yes. Self-care is that important.)
[clickToTweet tweet=”When was the last time you did something simply to help you relax? ” quote=”When was the last time you did something simply to help you relax? “]The following are some basic self-care tips:
- Hydrate. Drink lots of water throughout the day. I’m sure you know how important it is to stay hydrated, but it’s one of those things that gets forgotten when we get busy. Water helps all of your body’s systems work better, so drink up! The act of getting up and refilling your water glass forces you to take breaks, too. So that’s a bonus. Add some lemon to your water if you have trouble choking it down like I do!
- Eat well. Eating well means getting in all of your meals every day (preferably not all at your desk!). And try to fuel yourself with good, healthy foods. It’s tempting to reach for fatty/sugary/salty foods when we’re stressed, but the better option is to have healthy foods prepared so they’re easy to grab when you’re hungry.
- Exercise. This does not have to take hours a day (or it can, if that’s what works for you!). Go for a quick walk in the morning, or squeeze in some yoga at the end of the day. Go to the gym. Stretch in your living room. It’s easy to skip the exercise because exercise is uncomfortable and requires a great deal of time and energy. But it is an excellent way to manage stress, and you should be doing some sort of exercise every day. I love my FitBit because it allows me to focus on getting in my daily quota of activity. If I see I’m short, I force myself to go out for a walk or put on some rockin’ music and dance around the room. Simple self-care.
Those are the big three … the basic, things we ALL should be doing as human beings wishing to live a good healthy, happy life.
Here are some other self-care tips that are a bit more fun!
- Arrange a night out with friends for a trip to the movies or a nice dinner
- Get a massage
- Take a bath
- Get a facial
- Moisturize your feet
- Get a manicure
- Meditate
- Listen to music
- Play
- Read a book
- Learn to play an instrument
- Find a new hobby
Are you currently making self care a priority in your life? If so, great! Please share your self-care tips with us! And if not, hopefully I’ve convinced you why you should start.
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In business since 1991, Terry Green is the founder/CEO/President of BizEase Support Solutions, an American-based, online marketing support company comprised of a team of talented professionals from around North America. BizEase excels at providing speakers and business coaches worldwide with seamless online marketing solutions, from setting up shopping carts and editing video, to writing blog posts and managing Social Media and PR campaigns. BizEase clients (who span five continents) take great joy in allowing the BizEase team to take care of the details so they can get back to doing what they do best! Click here to get our weekly tips ezine delivered to your inbox every other Friday, with tips on plugins, apps, and tools to make you more productive today!