5 Ways I Practice Self Care
We live in a busy world and many of us wear a few different hats. When I am not working with patients I am reading, researching, writing, creating content, etc. It’s important for me to take a step back every now and then and do something that lowers stress and allows me to come back down to earth a bit.
5 Ways I Practice Self Care
These are the 5 things I always do when I’m in need of some self love.
Put down the device. Most of the work I do is in front of a blue screen. It’s exhausting and straining. Sometimes I get up from my computer and my eyes literally hurt. The first thing I do when I’m feeling stressed, over-tired or overwhelmed is to refrain from looking at a screen for awhile. Social media causes so much undue stress that we often don’t even realize! How many times do find yourself irritable with a headache and clenched jaw after a scrolling session?
Hot Tea. This one seems silly and super corny but there is something ritualistic about having a cup of warm tea. Boiling the water and steeping the leaves is therapeutic. My favorites are lavender, mint and chamomile.
Get moving. When I have a day where I’m literally crawling out of my skin, I have to move my body. Usually it’s the very last thing I want to do at the time but I always get myself there knowing I will feel like a million bucks after my workout. For me, a run or yoga is the best way to calm my mind.
Tidying up. It’s hard for me to feel at ease if the house is a huge mess. I’m not talking about cleaning your whole place, but even the simple act of making my bed and tidying up my nightstand makes me feel like a million bucks. Then I feel like I have a clean space to relax and sit for bit.
Read a fiction novel. I am one of those people who reads a few books at once. At any given time I’m reading a novel, a biography and an inspirational self-growth book. While I think reading any book is a form of slowing down and practicing self care, I think fiction is the best way to really turn off the mind for a bit. When I’m reading a bio or business book I often find myself getting excited about a project or wanting to work and that defeats the whole purpose! Also, I always recommend reading an actual book versus on a screen. I know for sustainability reasons people like e-books but I am a library member and use sites like ThriftBooks.com so I don’t have to purchase something new.
What are you favorite ways to practice self care? Let me know in the comments! Follow me on Instagram for more updates.
