Now is the time: how to take care of yourself

Sometimes we are so busy that we forget to take care of the only person who will accompany us throughout our lives: ourselves. Maybe Thinking about your own well-being and placing it as a priority on your list of daily “musts” may sound selfish to you… but it is not. In fact, one of the most important investments you can make is to invest in yourself, your health, your needs and your well-being. Additionally, it is essential to know how to take care of yourself so that you can take care of others. Because if we take care of ourselves correctly, we can give ourselves to others more fully and completely.

Dedicating the hours of the day to caring for others is an initiative that is born from the most genuine and deep affection, however when this situation is constant, it takes its toll on an emotional level. Furthermore, if a person dedicates a large part of their life to caring for others, whether on a practical level (doing things for others) or sentimentally (providing emotional support), they stop taking care of themselves and may even forget how do it. Therefore, in this article we will talk about how to take care of yourself, since it is a fundamental skill to have good psychological and emotional health.

Why is taking care of yourself a task that can be very difficult?

Because humans many times act, move and decide based on what others need or say, they do not attend to their needs and forget about them. That is to say, In the same way that if we stop doing an activity, we lose practice and ease, and we even forget how much we liked it, if we stop listening to ourselves and taking care of ourselves, we forget how to do it. This situation is especially observed in people who spend many years taking care of their children or a family member and the moment they stop doing so they become depressed, experience anxiety and do not understand what is happening to them or why they feel this way.

People who don’t know how to take care of themselves go to therapy and explain that they have the feeling of being lost, They feel aimless, blocked and without the ability to do something different to get out of the situation they find themselves in. What happens in all these cases is that the time has come to “take care of yourself” and they don’t know how to do it. They face a task that seems almost impossible, strange and they don’t know where to start.

How to take care of yourself? Here are 9 practical ideas

Think that, if you are well, all the difficulties around you will be easier to overcome. Furthermore, you have to accept that this task depends on yourself. I mean, if you have a partner, friends, family, or kids, it’s great if they care about your well-being (and in a way they “should”), but You do not have to wait for the people around you to take care of you, it is a task that you have to carry out on your own initiative. For all these reasons, here are 9 practical ideas.

1. Organize your environment, so that it represents the best of you

Keeping your home, room, work environment and physical environment in order represents a step forward in the task of taking care of yourself.. The place where you are has to invite you to stay and not to escape. Clutter, poor light and lack of warmth make us feel uncomfortable and, if we have it every day, it increases general psychological discomfort.

2. Find a moment of relaxation every day

We live a lifestyle in which “we never have time.” This is partly true, but Time is a resource that is “removed” from one place and “put” in another. Therefore, to take care of yourself it is important to find, even 10 minutes a day, to relax and disconnect, enjoy a coffee or tea, watch the news or social networks on your mobile phone without anything or anyone bothering you. This moment of relaxation can be in the morning, afternoon or evening, it doesn’t matter what time zone it is in, but it has to exist no matter what.

3. Include laughter in your routine

Turn to what makes you laugh: a series, movies, a radio show or monologues, it doesn’t matter what it is… as long as it makes you connect with your sense of humor. The impact of seeking laughter every day is very positive and is noticeable in your mood. Be proactive and approach what makes you laugh; look for him, don’t wait for him to knock on your door.

4. Stay away from negative people and emotions

Getting away from what hurts is an essential step to take care of yourself. If you are in toxic relationships or have people in your closest circle who transmit negativity to you, you have to distance yourself and set limits. It is quite difficult to take care of ourselves if we surround ourselves with people who are dedicated to throwing away our efforts to achieve well-being.

5. Cultivate your personal relationships, dedicate time to them and make them worthwhile

Once you have set limits on toxic relationships and have distanced yourself from negative emotions (by listening to them beforehand and not systematically ignoring them), you can dedicate yourself to cultivating relationships that make you feel good. Spend time on them, meet up with friends, have a date with your partner or go visit a family member you want to see. Investing time in these relationships will make you feel emotionally supported and cared for.

6. Do physical exercise and if you don’t have time… find the time!

Physical exercise has proven to be one of the best tools to help us regain psychological balance and improve our mood. In addition to having psychological benefits, exercise will improve your self-esteem, you will feel and look better, thus constituting an injection of positive emotions. Commit to a weekly exercise routine, you will notice the changes immediately.

7. Listen to your needs as a person

First of all, connect with your needs, listen to what you want to say or do and be true to yourself, this will be one of the best ways to take care of yourself. Ignoring your needs and always prioritizing the well-being of others may be the easiest thing to do in the moment, but in the long term it will take its toll. It’s about spending time thinking about how you feel, what you want, what is important to you and how you can satisfy those aspects.

8. Connect with nature

Nowadays, it is quite common for us to spend most of our time indoors, in front of a screen and without contact with the outside world. Especially due to work demands and home responsibilities, which force us to remain inside both spaces for long periods of time during the day.

Thus, We forget to connect with those natural spaces, which are the most suitable for relaxing and returning to ourselves.. Therefore, try to include in your self-care routine occasional walks to the mountains, the park, the beach… This experience will allow you to appreciate the beauty that the world offers us naturally, which, without a doubt, is an excellent way to enhance our welfare.

9. Avoid blaming yourself by prioritizing yourself

People who tend to care more about others than themselves often feel extremely guilty when they prioritize themselves.. This happens, in large part, because they have been taught that ideal behavior is sacrifice for others. Therefore, when they do not meet social expectations, gnawing guilt appears.

That said, remember that self-care is a necessary condition for our own well-being and to be able to help those around us. So, When you feel guilty, realize that that feeling was imposed by third parties and the healthiest thing is to start getting rid of it.

Finally, Remember that taking care of yourself can be a difficult task and it may even be that since you have never done it you don’t know where to start. Don’t be discouraged, practically everything we do for at least 21 days becomes a habit; Therefore, you can set a goal to acquire the habit of taking care of yourself by following the 9 practical ideas for the next 21 days: you will not regret it!

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