Self care is such a hot topic right now and rightfully so. I'm a huge advocate of self care and will always be. You can't pour from an empty cup! I know the days are busy and it's not always feasible to take an hour long bath for example. Many people are returning to work in some capacity (me included), and even having gatherings with family and friends. Hopefully the self care routines we established during the height of the pandemic, we've carried with us. If life has gotten hectic again I wanted to share some small, yet practical ideas for everyday self care.
+ Lock in a morning routine. I shared my Positive Morning Routine awhile back and while it varies as I don't have as much time in the mornings, I do a variation of this. This is the first way I practice self care everyday. However, this can be as simple as saying a morning prayer, morning affirmations while doing your morning skincare or opting for a healthy option for breakfast opposed to a sweet.
+ Light a candle when you're off work. I love candles. I like to light one in the morning before I start work at home, it helps relax me. If you're in the office, light it once you walk through the door. It automatically will help transition you from the stress of the day to relaxation.
+ Take a proper lunch break. I know we can all be guilty of this, working through our lunch. This is especially hard to do when working from home. When I'm home, I close the computer, make a nice lunch and sit away from my computer. I need the mental break. Even at work, sometimes we glorify working while we eat. You'd be surprised how nice you feel just leaving the office for your break to get fresh air and just clear your mind.
+ Log off work when you're done. Don't leave the computer open, don't check back. When you're done, log off and be done. Again, we glorify this work culture and one thing I've learned living in Europe is, work culture is American culture. Log off and enjoy the rest of your day. You earned it.
+ Drink water and eat well. When I eat well I feel well. Eating well is a form of self care. You are literally caring for your health and body. Think of your food and drink as fuel for your body. Feed it well and in turn, it will return the favour.
+ Write down good things that happened to you during the day. I use the 5 minute journal app. In the mornings you can log your affirmations and in the evenings you write down good things that happened. I love to use this. There are some days when it seemed like nothing really went well and this is a good way to come back to centre and practice gratitude. You can always find something to be grateful for. Maybe the whole day was a bust but you made it to and from work alive. Not everyone made it home that day. Be grateful!! I practice this at dinner with the kids well. We all go around and say something that was good in our day.
Remember self care is individual and these are just ideas. Let me know some small ways your practice self care throughout your day in the comments!
-Sarai
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