“Reduce the stress levels in your life through relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing, and exercise. You'll look and feel way better for it.” ~ Suzanne Somers
“Set a day aside for YOU; get those endorphins going, which will make you feel better emotionally and physically.” ~ Tracy Diamond Denson
In our everyday lives, the world can be full of pressure. It is not uncommon that we may be pulled in what feels like a million directions. Overtime the stressors of life can begin to wear on us. This can have negative effects on our overall life. The good news, there is a SOLUTION, YAY! It’s self-care. And for the record, self-care is NOT selfish. Self-care is a powerful process with far reaching positive effects. There are many benefits to self-care, to name a few: a boost in your confidence, better decision making skills, communicate more effectively, and build stronger relationships.
Put some time aside and plan out your daily schedule – there are plenty of stressors in life, however with the proper planning you can at least minimize them. Look after YOURSELF; it is essential that you take care of you so that you can serve others from a full vessel and not an exhausted, depleted, and empty one. This is an important necessity and pivotal self-need. Listen to your body, listen to the messages it sends you. You may want to try what experts consider the acronyms – HALT as a reminder to check if you are: H – Hungry, A-Angry, L-Lonely, or T-Tired. Don’t ignore your needs; rather they are physical or emotional. Truly put time and effort into what you really need.
Embrace Quality Time Alone - “Time for ME.”
Embrace quality time alone; feel free to title it, “Time for ME.” Take a solid amount of time out of your day or week to do whatever you want. Rather it’s a time of self-reflection, getting engrossed with a good book, (which I absolutely love), listening to your favorite podcast, or sitting back and enjoying the sounds of nature and its beautiful sceneries.
Schedule your self-care time, and guard that time with everything you have. You’ve heard me stress many times how “Time is our most precious commodity’ and “we only get one life, so live it’. It can be hard for us all to find extra time, but we all get 24 hours in a day, give some to YOU. It’s extremely important to plan regular self-care time. Moments alone can help you to ponder the best ways to move forward in your life and keep you grounded. And moments with friends can help you feel more connected and relaxed. Absorb positive emotions from others, try and be close to people with positive and happy vibes. Seek out happy people, the ones where their laughter is contagious, and laugh out LOUD. Allow the endorphins and serotonin to be released to lower any anxiety and increase your feelings of happiness.
Gift Yourself With Whatever That Looks Like For YOU!
Whether you decide you want to go for a long walk, take a hot bath, or enjoy a good movie with friends, taking self-care time is imperative. You can look at personal self-care as a DELIBERATE CHOICE TO GIFT YOURSELF with whatever that looks like for you. Look for small ways you can incorporate it into everyday life; for example, you might wake up 15 minutes earlier to sit with a cup of coffee or tea and practice deep breathing and meditation before the chaos of the day begins, or you might take a walk around the block on your lunch break. The more you can work self-care time into your schedule, the better you’ll be able to grow, enjoy your life, and thrive.
Questions to Ponder:
What does self-care look like for you?
When will you schedule your quality time alone, “Time for Me”?
Best Wishes,
Tracy Diamond