8 Ideas for Self-Care

Self-care is what we do to stay well physically, mentally, and emotionally. Self-care is not selfish, but rather allows us to show up more fully for the people in our lives. We’ve come up with 8 ideas for self-care that YOU can do to strengthen YOUR mental health.

 

  1. Use your senses: What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? Reflecting on and bringing attention to your 5 senses can help us eliminate distractions, and instead allow us to be present where we are at. 
  2. Go for a walk: Besides the physical benefits of walking, going for walks can help our sleep habits, improve circulation, and decrease stress.
  3. Spend 15 minutes writing in your journal: Take time to reflect. Write about questions like: What am I grateful for? What was the best part of my day? What am I proud of?
  4. Turn your phone off: This one is hard…but so worth it. Disconnecting allows us to be present in our lives. Our phones can be such a distraction, and taking a break from them can do wonders.
  5. Start a new book: Reading not only makes you smarter, but it also has so many other wonderful benefits such as reducing stress, improving memory, and it’s just fun! With endless genres of books, there’s no way you won’t find a book you love. Reading is also a great strategy to help us disconnect.
  6. Listen to a podcast: When we’re bored, we often resort to scrolling through social media. However, instead of that, try listening to a podcast! They can be entertaining, inspirational, or educational… you pick!
  7. Throw a mini dance party: Dancing is proven to boost our confidence. Additionally, it’s a great outlet to release and express our emotions. Just remember… there’s no such thing as bad dancing 🙂
  8. Get 8 hours of sleep: While this might seem like a no-brainer, sleep is an incredibly important aspect of self-care. Without enough sleep, we become distracted easily, can be moody, and our overall health can decline. 

 

We challenge you to try at least one of these self-care techniques this week… and next week, try two! 

By Lexi Breunig