"The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health. The practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress."Generally, people regard self care as individual activities that are rewarding, by creating a sense of happiness, relaxation or combating stress. Women in particular are reminded to carve out time in their schedule for self care, as we are usually in the practice of caring and doing for others.
Self care is individual
Some examples might include: getting a massage, taking a bubble bath, or taking the time to read a book. The particular activity is just as important as the time you make for it. Regular self care will help give you a sense of wellbeing and decrease your susceptibility to stressful situations.
Practicing self-care makes you a priority, helps you to maintain perspective, and keeps things in balance. It helps prevent against feeling out-of-control and overwhelmed, by creating "down time".
So, why are we discussing Self Care when this is a blog about Minimalism? Because it's the Holiday Season - the time of year marked by both stress and joy. And, the purpose behind minimalistic living is not to just live with less stuff, it is intentional living. The things we make space for and the things we make time for are important to us, or should be. A Minimalistic Lifestyle should reflect your interests, passions, and priorities. And YOU are certainly a priority.
Starting a Self Care Routine:
Think about activities you enjoy. Make a list.
Take a moment to consider how often you do any of the activities on your list. Has it been awhile? You should be doing something daily for yourself.
Expanding your list
This is an activity I took from a Health Course in college:
Make a list of activities you enjoy, then balance that list against four categories.
- This is a solo activity
- This activity requires another person (or group)
- This activity costs money
- This activity is cheap or free
If you find that all of your activities fall into a specific category, like everything you enjoy doing is expensive and requires other people, that it's time to expand your list of activities and try to think of things that fall into the other categories.
Sometimes you may find that things overlap, like there is an activity that you can do alone or with someone, there are things you can do cheaply or expensively that would fall into the same category. The specifics are up to you.
Sample list:
- Meditation (20 mins) Solo + Free
- Getting my nails done Solo/Social + $$
- Going for a walk Solo/Social + Free
- Reading a book (1 hr) Solo + Free
- Coffee with a friend (2 hrs) Social + $
- Going to a Concert Social + $$$
- Getting a Massage Solo + $$
Schedule your "Me Time"
No matter what you decide to call it, you're Self Care needs to be in your calendar.
This is your time to recharge, clear your mind, or get your energy out. And just like going to the gym, if you don't treat it like an appointment, you will find it being pushed aside for other priorities.
As I said before, this should be a DAILY occurrence. Sure, we all don't have the time or money to go get a massage on a daily basis, but you should be able to set time aside to sip a cup of coffee and read a book if you enjoy that.
Carve out a little time each day for yourself. Do something special, like a massage or pedicure, a couple times a month. Taking time for yourself in small ways (and remembering to mix and the bigger things every so often) will add more enjoyment to your life. And we all want top live a life we love!
My Personal Recommendation for Daily Self Care: Meditation
If you've ever tried meditation before, and you think that it's not for you, I would ask that you try it again. I'm a very busy person, and not just in my schedule, my brain is always in the middle of a project.
When I first tried to meditate, my mind went crazy with task lists and ideas. Clearing your mind is a lot easier said than done. That is why I recommend Guided Meditation for anyone who is starting out. Best part? There are a ton of free resources online. You can listen through Spotify, you can find videos on YouTube, and you can even record your own meditation intention to play for yourself.
It's important to find a guided meditation that you enjoy. The sound of a person's voice, the topic that they focus on, and the music in the background all play a part. Take some time to go through different recordings. See what works for you.
I usually aim to meditate between 15 and 30 minutes at a time. If I find a meditation that I like, and the recording is only 10 minutes long, I might decide to follow it with relaxing music for 10 more minutes.
If you're interested, you can listen to my collection of guided meditation and relaxing music through Spotify. None of the recordings are anything that I own, or profit from, this is just a collection of recordings that I prefer to use when I meditate.
Spotify Playlists:
Guided Meditations
Relaxing Music
If this is a topic that has sparked your interest, here are a few more posts to read:
What Self Care IS and What it Isn't
Four Reasons to Take a Personal Day
45 Simple Self Care PracticesI do not profit from these articles, I do not even know the authors. I just appreciate sharing information. Feel free to post other related articles and blogs in the comments below!
