The Ultimate Self-Care Guide

Having a self-care guide in our lives is a must in my book. Let's face it, life is busy, and sometimes, it can be darn hard! We all have things that take their toll on us, and if we don’t look after ourselves, we may find a lot of the things that we face to be overwhelming. Sound familiar? If so then this guide is for you, so keep reading!

I know, the expression self-care can sound a bit cliche. But there is a lot of evidence behind self-care, along with tons of benefits it can bring to us. For example, feeling less stress and anxiety, furthering our overall well-being, even improved mental health. The good news is that self-care doesn’t have to take long. You could do one thing a day and feel the benefit right away! If you’re not sure where to start, but want to make some changes, then here are some of the things that you can be doing.

Don’t Forget #selfcaresunday
No matter where you turn online and on social media, someone somewhere will be talking about self-care, as it is all about putting yourself first physically, mentally, and emotionally.  The truth is it can be hard for some to think about taking out some me-time. But you need to remember that self-care is not selfish. The truth is when you put yourself first, everyone around you will win. You can be a better partner, a better parent, a better friend, and a better colleague. So take some time each day and make it count.

Create A Happy List
While this may sound a little odd, trust me, it works. So, what I want you to do is at the end of every day, write out a happy list, or a list of things that you are grateful to have in your life. It can be small things, like finding a Sephora gift card that you did not know you had, adding fresh cut flowers in your home, to eating a yummy meal. A focus like this can shift your motivation and thinking. It helps you to recognize the things that are going right in your life, rather than concentrating on the negative. To motivate you, it can be a fun idea to get a cure journal to write it (Erin Condren does some amazing ones). Then you can be inspired and motivated to do with daily prompts.

Rest Your Eyes
So much of our days, through work and social time, is spent in front of screens.  Not only can this lead to tech neck, but it can and does take a toll on our eyes.  Which can cause things like headaches, eye strain, and blurred vision. There is a rule of twenty, where every twenty minutes you should take a twenty-second break, and look at something that is over twenty feet away. If you wear contact lenses, then it can be a good idea to have at least one or two days a week where you don’t wear your glasses, for example.



Spa Time
It can feel like such a luxury to take yourself off to a spa to have facials or a massage and trust me; this is the type of pampering you need! If you really can’t fit that in with what you have going on in life, then you could at least treat yourself at home. There are so many at-home sheet masks that you could use, as well as foot spas and essential oils to give you that wonderful spa feeling.

Think About Your Breathing
Studies have suggested that around 20 minutes of yoga breathing (like you would in a yoga class) can improve your mood and even help to improve your memory.  Which is why implementing some yoga into your life is essential.  If you can't find time for yoga, at least take the time to do some yoga breathing techniques right before going to sleep. There is an alternate-nostril approach that you could try:

• Make an L-shape with your right thumb and first finger; then take a deep breath.
• From there, press the right side of your nose with your thumb, like you are trying to block your nostril. Breathe out.
• Breathe in with your other nostril, and then block your left nostril and take your hand off the right one. Breathe out, and then breathe in.
• Repeat for twenty minutes.

Laugh With Friends
If you want to feel good and be happy, then what is better than being able to laugh with your friends? Research has found that when you laugh, it helps to release endorphins, which are those happy or feel-good hormones. So yes, you can benefit from having a giggle! It can also be comforting to spend time with friends and talk things out, at the same time, too.

So beauties, as you can see the overall the goal to self-care is to take advantage of the opportunities around us! Doing so will allow us to change the outcome in life to something more positive. Which ultimately will encourage healthy relationships, less burnout, self-love, happiness and more!