We hear the term self-care bonded about a lot, but how do you do it?
For a while, their self-care was considered a bit of a fad. It was thought of as something that millennials or Gen Z people did because the world was too much for them. It was associated with “Snowflakes.” But how the tables have turned.
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic, we have needed self-care in a whole new way. It no longer means buying yourself an extra coffee because you’ve been good this week. Now it means washing your hands every time you go outside. It means making sure you take your face mask so that you don’t catch anything. The concept of self-care is changing the more we realize that we are at risk from viruses.
Self-care is no longer just limited to mental health. It now encompasses emotional health and work-life balance. Yet, even with all this attention on this aspect of well-being, some of us still don’t know how to take good care of ourselves. That’s what we’re here for.
4 Stages to Self-Care that Works For You
If you are one of the people who can’t figure out how to take better care of yourself, then this article is for you. But, first, workget through the following stages to create a self-care plan that works for you.
Stage one – The foundations
When you wake up in the morning, do you reach for a glass of water, or do you reach for the coffee pot? What time do you go to bed at night? When was the last time you ate five pieces of fruit and veg a day? If you are missing all the above, you are missing the foundations of taking care of yourself.
Humans need certain things to survive. If you give yourself the primary means to stay, that’s fine, but all you’re going to get is raw energy. If you’re wondering why, you feel tired all the time, but you exist on six cups of coffee and one main meal a day. Then you can start to see why this is important.
Here are some of the foundation steps that you should be taking to take loving care of yourself:
- Food – Are you eating three square meals a day? By square meals, we mean meals that have a balance of fruit, veg, meat, nuts, or meet your dietary requirements in a balanced way.
- Water – You should be drinking 2 liters of water a day and not in coffee form or work the form of soda pop. It should be water. However, sometimes our bodies may require a little extra help in replenishing fluids and electrolytes. This is where a mobile IV in Glendale can come in handy. These services provide a quick and easy way to rehydrate and restore important nutrients in the body.
- Sleep – Not everyone needs a total of 8 hours a night. Margaret Thatcher, famous British Prime Minister, notoriously got by on 4 hours sleep a night. Work out how much sleep you need to feel fresh the next day and stick to it.
- Heat and light – When you are cold all the time, you burn through twice as much energy as you do when you are at an average room temperature. In the winter, if you don’t get enough light, this can lead to depression or seasonal affective disorder. If you’re prone to mental health issues, heat and light are more important than you’ve ever had.
- Alone time – If you have to run a family of five and hold down a full-time job, then the last 20 minutes of the day when you lie in bed, and you finally get to be by yourself, are like heaven. Make more time for yourself, which brings us to the next
Stage 2 – Remembering who you are
Think back to when you were 18 or 19. Were there things that you swore that you would try before you died? What were your hobbies? Remember who you mean by getting back to what you believed and thought before becoming a partner, a mother, father, or carer. Returning to your roots helps you feel more like yourself again. It also encourages us to put more time aside for ourselves. If you’re the kind of person who runs yourself ragged looking after others, this is vital.
Stage 3 – Encouraging Self-Love
People shake their heads when they hear the words’ self-love. The truth is that other people aren’t going to love us if we don’t love ourselves. This phrase is said so often that it has become a cliche. The reality behind it, however, is sound.
Imagine that you don’t really, honestly know who you are. Maybe you’re the kind of person that likes chocolate cake, but you never tried a chocolate cake before and didn’t know that you wanted it. Every new thing you discover about yourself adds to your personality. If you haven’t learned enough about yourself, how can you expect someone else to love you when you don’t have those opinions? Maybe the other person hates chocolate cake. Maybe your partner hates anyone who has ever tasted the chocolate cake. Self-love and self-discovery go hand in hand with finding a suitable life partner. And This is why self-love is essential.
Incidentally, one of the best sites on the Internet for encouraging self-love is over at Bedbible.com. Have a read. Have a browse. Find out if there are things that you like that you didn’t know about before. Each and everything you learn will help you better love yourself and better love others.
Stage 4 – Write about it
Once you had thought about all the things you used to like when you were younger, think about how much to eat, drink, and sleep; aim to put a self-care plan into action. To make a physical self-care plan of your own, you will need a journal preferably, but a piece of paper will do.
Make a list of things you want to try that you want to do, but they haven’t yet. A bit like a bucket list but more attainable. Say you haven’t walked in the forest with bare feet. Maybe you want to go swimming in the sea, and you haven’t done it yet. These are all things that you should try for yourself. Making a list of them and working your way through them every time you have a moment gives you an actionable self-care plan.
Final Thoughts
Schedule time for yourself once a week to make a list. Make sure you keep up the eating, drinking, and sleeping routine you establish, and you will be well on your way to success.
