Self-care goes hand in hand with self-love. You really need to take care of yourself. It’s too easy to just keep bustling through life and make other people have priority all the time. Sometimes that may need to be the case, but not as often as we think. If you’ve been feeling drained, exhausted, uninspired or unhappy, I may have a solution for you: self-care.
It’s taken me a long time to realize just how important self-care really is. As I mentioned before, I didn’t even know what self-love was until about two years ago or so, and I’m not ashamed to admit that. I’ve been reading a lot of self-care and body positivity books and blogs lately, and a lot of the people I really identify with have gone through similar struggles to me. It’s really common to be in your 20s (or even 30s and beyond) and not know much about self-love. It’s not silly to think that it’s hard to apply self-love principles to your own life. That’s a reflection on our society, and that’d be a whole other (or several other) blog post topic.
Once I finally realized how important self-care was, it became really easy to find more ways to take care of myself. I used to think it sounded cheesy to want to take care of yourself (I’m not sure why), but it’s so, so necessary. How can you live your best life when you’re feeling low, beaten down, overwhelmed, sad, stuck, etc.? I promise you that even though self-care is so imperative, it’s easy to start incorporating little habits to help you lead a happy, full life.
How to Make Self-Care a Priority
- Begin. We all have to start somewhere, right? Think about what would make you happiest right at this exact moment. What do you want or need to do to be a better person, to have a better night, to make sure you have a great tomorrow? Do that. Whether it’s lighting a candle, reading a book, having a glass of wine or something else, do something just for you right now. See how it feels. You may just surprise yourself.
- Do at least one thing today that you could put off until tomorrow. Tomorrow, what will you have wished you had gotten done today? I have to ask myself this question multiple times every day. It can be something as simple as emptying the dishwasher right after the cycle is over just to get it done. Getting off the couch to take the garbage out now so it doesn’t stink up the place by morning. Paying those bills right now so you don’t forget. Turning off Netflix to take a bath, do a face mask, etc. Even if it’s a slight inconvenience to do it now, will it be a bigger inconvenience if you keep putting it off?
- Don’t judge others. This may sound obvious, but as I’ve mentioned before, it’s almost become second nature to judge. Whether it’s someone’s fashion’s sense or someone’s voice or someone’s opinions, it’s too easy to weigh in ourselves, especially when it’s not necessary. What good is it to judge? Really? Once you stop judging others, it’s easier to love yourself. And vice versa!
- Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I know this sounds laughable in today’s society, but I promise it’s worth it. Don’t sign up to help with too many things if you know it’ll stress you out too much. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Think about your well-being and if a certain task or situation is good for you. Obviously there are some situations we can’t control, but that just means it’s even more important to take charge and say no in other situations.
- Follow through on a promise to yourself. Whether it’s doing a face mask once a week or going to bed early or reading a bit before bed, promise yourself you’ll keep up that one little habit. And then do it. Seriously, it feels so good to make yourself happy and proud.
Life’s too short to not make yourself happy. Yes, I said make yourself happy and not just be happy. Because only you are in charge of your happiness. Take care of yourself, listen to yourself and your body, and happiness will follow.
Do you practice self-care in your daily life? What does self-care mean to you?
