15 Self Care Strategies Proven to be Effective.
PHYSICAL:
1. Move Your Body: Do anything. Walk, stretch, row, run, just be active for at least 20 minutes a day.
2. Eat Healthy Food: Fresh food, (Not from a box) Plant based has lots of scientific data to show it helps many conditions and is the healthier choice.
3. Sleep: Get more! Sleep helps with memory, it helps regulates hormones, repairs tissues and muscles, strengthens the immune system, regulates emotions. We need our sleep!
4. Nature: Get outside at least 1 x a day. It reduces stress, improves mood, has shown to enhance creativity. People have better concentration and focus when in green natural environments. Vitamin D from sunlight is essential for bone health.
MENTAL:
5. Quiet Your Mind: If you experience what is sometimes referred to as monkey brain. Stop and take a moment to breathe and get focused. Then decide on 1 thing to do and get it done. Then repeat. Or take 15 minutes and do a quick meditation. This will focus and ground you so you can move through your day being more productive.
6. Keep Learning: Taking courses, joining book clubs, reading on your own, learning technology, or just listening to podcasts are key to personal fullfilment but also reduces the risk of cognitive decline as we age. It fosters also adaptability, as the world changes and new skills and knowledge are essential to stay relevant within the workforce.
EMOTIONAL HEALTH
7. Be Creative: Find your thing. Then do it. Make it a priority. Creativity adds quality and richness to life. Expressing yourself through art, music, dance, flower arranging, creative writing, sewing, knitting, etc. adds so much to your well being on many levels. It no longer should be placed on the back burner. It’s important.
8. Be Physical: Hug more. Hold a hand. Physical touch releases Oxytocin sometimes referred to as the bonding hormone. If you create intimacy, it promotes feeling secure and loved. This adds to everything.
9. Music: Just listen to music. Try and find new music! Music has all aspects of life tucked inside it. It takes control. You can feel reflective, love sick, happy, sad, calm, or like you must get up and dance. Music is used by doctors for stress reduction, pain management, cognitive benefits, to improve sleep, or help with motor skills. Its therapeutic in every way.
SPIRITUAL HEALTH
10. Gratitude: Many mindfulness and wellness practices incorporate gratitude as a way to cultivate awareness and appreciation for the present moment. Having a grateful mindset, is also used as a coping method helping to focus on the positive while navigating challenging situations.
Being grateful creates increased resilience, less stress, and living in a more positive space.
11. Solitude: Alone time allows for self reflection and understanding of your feelings and values.
It fosters being independent and confident. Social interactions take energy so being alone is necessary to recharge. Creativity often times needs a solitary space to develop the idea.
12. Faith: Build your own or attend a faith based community. Individuals need a sense of meaning and purpose and help understanding their exisitence. Faith based communities can make us feel not so alone plus give mental support to get through tough times.
RELATIONAL HEALTH
13. Connection: Stay connected with your people. We have many more opportunities through technology to reach out. Make an effort to do this.
14. Write a Letter: Write a personal note to someone. It will bring someone such pleasure in knowing you took the time to write.
15. Give Back to Your Community: Working as part of an organization that helps others is one of the most gratifying and rewarding. It builds community, and connection with other like minded individuals and even contributes often times to our social life as well.
