Good self-care can involve setting aside your dread of the doctor’s office and getting any concerns checked out in a timely manner. It’s pretty common not to get the recommended amount of sleep, but here’s the good news: You can often improve both the quantity and quality of your sleep on your own. Not getting enough quality sleep on a regular basis can affect your mood, concentration, and health. Most adults need around 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. If you notice any areas where you’d like to make changes, emphasize these in your self-care plan. When considering physical self-care, identify the needs you have, and note any steps you currently take to meet those needs. Physical self-care needs include the things that help keep your body functioning well. Start by taking stock of your physical needs “When you recall moments of childhood that felt innocent, these moments are often more deeply impactful as you work to invite that experience into the present,” Dew says.Īs you begin to identify key moments and actions that helped you find peace before, explore ways to incorporate them into your present life. He explains specific memories can help recreate calm and wellness in your life. “Self-care is most beneficial when it’s informed by your own story,” Dew says. Perhaps it was the relative absence of responsibilities, or a sense of playfulness you can’t easily access now. Think of a time when you felt relatively happy and positive about life, even if you have to go back to childhood or late adolescence. Try to make self-care goals you can accommodate alongside work and other responsibilities. Self-care should happen all the time, not just when you feel most stressed.Īfter all, regularly tending to needs can help prevent you from reaching a point of high stress in the first place. When it comes to self-care, best practice means regular practice. Too many commitments, even enjoyable ones, tends to increase stress, since this leaves you without time to simply sit and process your own thoughts - another essential part of self-care. Overloading your schedule with activities meant to boost wellness can leave you the opposite of relaxed. But if doing so allows you to spend more time with your children and you can afford it, this value may be worth it.Ī good rule of thumb is to make sure the cost doesn’t increase your stress. The cost of getting takeout on work nights instead of trying to cook (not your strong point) may add up quickly. If you only stop in once a week, you might end up feeling more stressed by the cost than recharged from the increased activity.Īt the same time, there’s nothing wrong with spending money on something that really works. Say you join an expensive gym with the goal of exercising more. In this case, an indoor garden of succulents or other easy-care plants might be a good alternative. If you truly don’t see yourself sticking with something, remember: You have plenty of other options. While you can absolutely work to overcome these issues, there’s no need to force yourself to do something you don’t enjoy. Maybe you’ve read about the benefits of gardening and want to start a garden, but you really dislike dirt, and grubs and worms churn your stomach. Your self-care plan won’t have much benefit if you don’t put it into action. It might take a little effort to develop, but you’ll probably find this investment entirely worth it in the long run.įirst, a few things to ask yourself throughout the processĪs you get into the specifics of self-care, use these questions to help keep your plan workable and relevant to your needs. “It’s important to think about the needs currently going unmet and the self-care that is uniquely fit to meet those needs,” he says.Ī solid self-care checklist will reflect your specific needs, habits, and time considerations. Jeremy Dew, licensed professional counselor and clinical director of The Oakwood Collaborative in College Station, Texas. To get some insight, we reached out to P. So, how are you supposed to know what works for you? Yes, that means there’s no one-size-fits-all self-care checklist, despite what the internet might tell you. And even partners in close, healthy relationships tend to have different needs for things like companionship, exercise, and leisure time. Your go-to approach for managing stress may not help your best friend. Self-care doesn’t look the same for everyone, however. That’s what makes self-care - practices that promote mind and body wellness - so important. When you feel physically and emotionally well, it’s often easier to navigate stressors in healthy and productive ways.
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