Even though Self-Care Month begins on June 24th and ends with Self-Care Day on July 24, self-care can be practiced “24 hours a day/7 days a week”.
The World Health Organization defines self-care as “individuals, families, and communities promoting and maintaining their own health, preventing disease, and coping with illness and disability, with or without the support of a health worker” (you can read more here).
Self-care is taking care of the most important person in your life: YOU!
As the saying goes, “put your oxygen mask on first.” Take care of you first in your life!
So, how can you practice self-care?
Self-care need not focus specifically on your body, it includes your mind, body, and spirit.
Create habits, practices, schedules, and experiences that nourish your mind, body, and spirit.
There are so many things you can do!
- Here are a few suggestions:
- Get out in nature
- Meditate
- Move your body, which can be things like working out, walking, dancing, swimming, whatever feels good to you!
- Call a friend
- Go out with friends or family
- Read an enjoyable book
- Create something artistic – draw, paint, craft, etc
- Listen to music
- Disconnect from your phone and computer – even if only for 15 minutes
- Watch a good, or maybe even a notoriously bad, movie, depending upon your tastes!
- Focus on what makes you happy
It need not be the same thing every day! Switch it up if! Maybe today you walk in nature and tomorrow you go work out or read a book. Again, focus on things that nourish YOU!
Schedule your self-care time if you need to. Just make sure that you do it!
It’s OK to love yourself every day!
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For more ideas to relieve stress and take care of you, get my stress relief tips here:
