Everyday self-care: Simple daily practices and inspiration for caring for yourself for a more joyful and meaningful life
How often do y’all tell yourselves “I love you?” Have you ever realized that you too need to hear it from YOU?
Just like you care for your loved ones, you need to care for yourself too. Don’t forget to show yourself a little love.
‘Selfcare’ is obviously a hot topic nowadays. It’s a concept that is heavily misinterpreted. You know why?
Mainly because of the influence of social media, we tend to believe that self-care has to be lavish and expensive! But the reality is it’s not. It could be as simple as reading your favorite book by a fireplace with a hot coffee in your hand.
It just requires your attention and a lil effort.
You’re here reading this piece of writing, which means you’ve probably started your journey of self-care! Or at least planning to start. Here are some tips to aid you in the process.
TIP #1 : Drink water as soon as you get up in the morning.
Now that you’ve already started your day with positivity and motivation, it’s time you rehydrate yourself.
We wake up after a long sleep at night slightly dehydrated. So, it’s a must to drink plenty of water as soon as you wake up.
Not only that, throughout the day you must take the necessary water intake. If you’re too busy and forget this easily then I suggest you use a reminder for drinking water. There are plenty of such apps now.
TIP #2 : Start your day with positivity.
How many of you start the day with snoozing 10 times and then rushing out of the doors with tension that you’ll run late? I bet most of you do!
How about having something that you can possibly ignore snoozing?
Well, personally the first thing I do as soon as I wake up in the morning is pray. Being grateful for a new day and determining that I’ll achieve today’s goals have given me better results for me.
Then I start my day with a cup of coffee or sometimes with one of my favorite smoothies. I also love to listen to calming music in the mornings. It makes my mind relaxed and prepares me for the day.
I’m sure starting your day with something pleasant will make your day even more beautiful. Not only in the morning but staying positive really helps us in everyday life to achieve things in many ways.
TIP #3 : Eat healthily.
Eat healthy food. Try to avoid alcohol and drugs.
Sometimes we all have to eat on the run. But keep in mind that you should take your time and sit down to eat. Your breakfast is the only thing that will keep you fueled throughout the day. More importantly, it’s the first thing you feed into your body after a long sleep. So don’t ever miss your breakfast.
It’s essential to go for regular medical check-ups too.
TIP #4 : Practice good hygiene.
You already know the importance of maintaining good hygiene. Firstly, it reduces the risk of illnesses. Moreover, it’s also important for the well-being of social, psychological, and medical health.
Your personal hygiene is one of the major factors for the way others feel about you.
Maintaining proper personal hygiene will ultimately improve the way others feel about you as well as the way you feel about yourself.
TIP #5 : Exercise.
No, you don’t need to do a high-intensity workout daily. But do move for at least 30 minutes! It could be a simple morning walk, a solid gym session, or some kind of aerobic exercise.
Don’t forget to plan a workout date with a bestie. Ask your friend if she likes to join you for a jog. It’s beautiful if you have good friends who support your health goals as well as life goals.
Remember, your physical health is as important as your mental health.
TIP #6 : Don’t allow your dreams to be just dreams.
We all have goals and dreams. Currently, my goal is to pass my upcoming University examination with flying colors. What is your current goal? Or dream?
Dreams can only be achieved when you work for them.
One good method to track your progress towards your goals is to keep a scrapbook or a journal. It will showcase your achievements as well as remind you of your next step. Continue adding new goals whenever you accomplish your existing goals.
Have a clear idea of the obstacles you might face in your journey towards your goal.
What you must keep in your mind only to focus on your future instead of recalling and repenting over your past grieves.
TIP #7 : Stay connected.
Talk to someone who you trust. They are maybe your close friends, siblings, other family members, or a therapist. Have at least one person who you can trust.
Loneliness will only leave you in the dark.
If you’re going through a hard time, then I suggest you join a broad community. It will make you feel emotionally strong.
Search for a local community organization that brings individuals together who share the same passion.
If you’re unable to join such a community, don’t worry! There are online groups as well. For example, Note to Self is the official Facebook group of our website. Currently, there are more than 115,000 active members worldwide. Spending time with such positive people will ultimately ease your stress and improve the way you feel about yourself.
Volunteer.
Personally, what makes my soul satisfying is giving: helping my best help to someone who is in need. Join local communities and engage in charity projects, even for a day.
You don’t always have to donate financially for such occasions. Instead, use your time, energy, and talents in order to make an impact. You’ll start feeling that you’re making a difference.
Imagine how peaceful the world would be if everyone started thinking of others rather than being just self-centered and egocentric.
Try sharing someone else’s pain with yourself. Give them one of your smiles. Trust me, it’ll make your soul free.
TIP #8 : Connect with yourself.
Don’t forget to check in with yourself too.
Maintain a journal. Make a list of your accomplishments throughout your life. trust me this will be one of the most valuable resources to refer to whenever you feel low or stressed.
There are few more benefits of maintaining a journal. It’s a way for you to learn about your own self.
Make sure to be completely honest and share your story in your journal. We often read someone’s life story to get an idea about them. It’s especially helpful when they are in trouble, for you to help them lift themselves.
The same works for you as well. Later you can read your experiences, feelings, thoughts, and ideas of you and be the person that helps you.
TIP #9 : Stay positive.
Stay positive. Create joy and satisfaction, so that you can take care of your body physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Studies have proven that positive feelings can automatically increase your ability to face challenges, overcome stress, and even fight illnesses.
Positive feelings will reduce stress hormones and therefore it will strengthen your emotional wellbeing.
TIP #10 : Relax.
It’s important to find ways to relax. It could be yoga, meditation, taking a bath, getting a massage, or strolling in the woods.
We all know that meditation will make your mind calm. But did you really know that meditation also helps with depression, anxiety, asthma, chronic pain, cancer, and high blood pressure? Spare a few minutes each day.
You can try deep breathing, mindfulness meditation, or visualization. These are some of the most effective meditation techniques.
A therapeutic massage can relieve the tension in muscles. While boosting your immune system, it will also make you feel more relaxed and less anxious.
Take a nature break. Go outside your house and enjoy the beauty of nature. The blue sky, the endless waves of the sea, a scenic lake. Even just looking at nature will calm your nerves and relieve stress.
Studies have proven that people with views of nature in the workplace are happier with their jobs than people without views of nature in the workplace. So, take a break from your busy day, even for a tiny bit of time.
Watch or listen to a comedy show. It could be a YouTube video, a Netflix show, a podcast, or a blog.
TIP #11 : Treat yourself.
Bubble baths are not just meant for Instagram photoshoots. They’re for you to truly enjoy and to be relaxed.
What about having a pamper day, though it’s not a daily tip? I know most of you girls love a good self-care Sunday. Wearing comfortable clothes, cooking a delicious meal, with your favorite skincare routine, and curled up with a good book.
Don’t forget to pay attention to what you feel, hear, or see. This might be a really quick way to practice mindfulness. Have no idea of it? Just imagine you admiring a rose. Pay attention to its colors, and the sweetest fragrance and suddenly it becomes totally comforting. Fragrant flowers not only evoke positive feelings but can also inspire memories. One single sweet-smelling flower can make us happy!
Aaand, let’s not forget to have a mini dance party. It might be difficult to arrange a party for your friends. Yet still, you can have some fun alone. Blast some really cool music and dance out your day in the middle of your house!
TIP #12 : Detox from technology and social media for a while.
Wherever we go, the one thing that we carry everywhere is our mobile phone. It’s hard for anyone to live without mobile phones and social media. Mobile phones have become unavoidable due to the busy lives we’re living.
When you finally decide to limit social media or technology, you’ll realize that you have all the time in the world to do whatever makes you happy. Take it from a girl who was addicted to social media for quite a long time. Whenever I was going to check a text message or an email, I ended up scrolling through social media for hours. But finally, I learnt to avoid getting sucked into social media and wasting time.
Social media is not bad for people. The way we use it makes it bad or good for us. Learn to discipline yourself.
TIP #13 : Do something you love that doesn’t involve your phone.
Try doing some activity or two you enjoy every day. It could be dancing, singing, gardening, painting, reading, or swimming.
Make sure to include an activity that you always loved to do as a kid. flying a kite, riding a bicycle, painting your fingers, just anything!
Do something that you always wanted to do. Skydiving, ice skating, surfing, fishing, building a treehouse, knitting, what else?
It might be impossible for some of you to do such an activity in your busy day-to-day lives. But at least try them on weekends.
TIP #14 : Before going to bed, write down 5 things that you’re grateful for.
No matter how bad your day went, don’t go to bed with troubles in your mind. Recall something to be grateful for. Even if you didn’t have a single thing to be grateful for, you’re still blessed. Why? Because you have at least some of these: a home, a vehicle, your hands, legs, eyes, the list goes on. Focus on
TIP #15 : Sleep well.
Good sleep is really essential for a healthy lifestyle. A grownup should have at least 7-to-9-hour sleep per night. Sleep is important for the well-being of your mind and brain. Not only it consolidates your memory, but it will also rid your brain of toxins.
Conclusion
Sometimes our expectations might be highly unrealistic or impractical. Sometimes different circumstances might lead us so so far away from our goals.
Sometimes you won’t be able to do things you think you need to do, and that’s okay.
Work hard towards your goals. But don’t rush. Don’t let anything tear you apart in your journey toward success!
You are so much more valuable than your dreams, goals, or whatever in your to-do lists. Prioritize your well-being above everything else. More importantly, you need time to breathe.
Enjoy the above tips and practice self-care. Speak kindly to yourself. Accept yourself and love who you are.
Simply put, show yourself a little love.
These are a few of our simple daily practices and inspiration for caring for yourself for a more joyful and meaningful life. Hoping to come up with more tips soon.
Which practice from this post are you going to try first? Or did I miss one of your favorite self-care tips? Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
Thanks for reading!
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