Guest blog by Vee Cecil
Today’s world is fast paced. There is always something going on or something to do. We have deadlines, meetings, and more priorities than we can handle. Here are some ways you can make time to take care of yourself without the world around you screeching to a halt.
Take 5 Minutes in the Morning to Stretch and Breathe
If you start your day off stressed and anxious, there’s a good chance you will feel stressed and anxious the rest of the day. Begin the peaceful morning as it should be: with silence and ease. Stand up and stretch your body as tall as possible. Then bend over and touch the ground. Do it again. Try to feel your body and focus on breathing slow, deep breaths.
Eat Healthy, Eat Green, Drink Tea
Not only will eating better help your productivity, it will also boost your mood. It’s tempting to have pizza delivered to your doorstep, but taking a little extra time out of your day to prepare a nutritious meal is worth it. Eating leafy green veggies lowers your cholesterol, preserves your vision, fuels your body and produces energy, and boosts bone health. Search the web for quick and easy recipes. If you’re looking for a drink to go with your healthy meal, drink tea or cold water. Tea won’t make you dehydrated or shaky like coffee, and you can drink it cold or hot!
Get Enough Sleep and Make Room for Rest
Whenever you make time to rest, really rest. Make a conscious effort to clear your mind; forget all work-related thoughts, stop making a checklist in your head of all the things you need to do that day. It’s important to rest your mind as well as your body. When it comes time to actually hitting the hay, the age-old advice of getting enough sleep is essential for self-care. It can benefit your heart, weight, and improve your memory, among many other things.
Write a Worry List
Stress makes us more vulnerable, and worry can make things much worse during a busy season. Whenever you catch yourself worrying about something, jot it down. Spend 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night worrying about the things you wrote down. Postponing your worry will actually make it less worrying when you sit down and think about it in peace and quiet.
Find More Time to Exercise
Any sort of exercise will release endorphins, your body will thank you, and it clears your head so you can focus your attention on the important work in front of you. It’s also a good way to work out any anxious energy. Ideally, you can put together a great home gym for yourself. Otherwise, go for a run, walk somewhere you’d normally drive to (if it’s not that far), or go to a yoga class. If you don’t think you have time to try out an exercise class, make time. Schedule it in and don’t let anything infiltrate that time. Prioritize it.
Do Something Silly
Nothing breaks up the stress of a busy day like a good laugh. Don’t forget to have fun. Make jokes, play a prank, talk to your coworkers or the coffee barista. Allow yourself to goof off for a little while. It will boost your mood and the moods of the people around you.
Self-care is vital for our physical and mental health, but when we get busy, it is often the first thing we throw out the window when we’re stretched for time. The moments when we need to take care of ourselves the most is when we feel like we don’t have the time.
Vee is a wellness coach who shares her thoughts and findings with others.
