“Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean me first, it means me too.”- L.R. Knost
An article from NAMI (National Alliance On Mental Health) about self-care and Taking Care Of Yourself says that self-care is “like the advice we’re given on airplanes: put on your own oxygen mask before trying to help someone else with theirs.” So as is obvious, it is a pretty big deal.
Before being a caregiver to others, you must be able to care for your “self” first. Improving your relation ship with yourself will help you both mentally, and physically… making you more resilient, and better able to handle the ups and downs of life.
A fantastic way to ensure great mental health is to take care of yourself physically. A strong, and healthy foundation is key to building a strong mental and physical connection. Here are a few key things to practice:
- Refrain from alcohol and drugs. – Alcohol, while a depressant, can and often does interrupt your sleep, so limiting your intake is wise. Drugs and alcohol will undermine your journey to Becoming The Very Best You, so limiting your consumption would serve you well.
- Eat Well- Eating a well balanced diet of unprocessed whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These foods will increase your energy level, and may even combat some chronic diseases.
- Practice Mindfulness. – I cannot stress this one enough. It has been proven that Mindfulness can rewire your brain for the positive, and truly change lives. I urge you to educate yourself about this practice, and then apply what you learn to your daily life.
- Exercise- Whether you hit up the gym, or you workout in your garage… neither really matter, what does matter is that you get moving. Park at the rear of the parking lot to force yourself to walk further than you normally do, or take the stairs instead of taking the elevator. These are just a couple examples of ways to get your body moving more. Treat your dog to a walk at least once a day, and thereby treating your heart to the benefits of cardiovascular exercise. It doesn’t matter if you do squats while waiting for the microwave to go off, or you are in the gym… just get moving.
- Practice Relaxation Exercise- Another term for this is Meditation. Deep breathing exercises help you to clear your head, and are proven to release stress. Learn several techniques to better equip you to handle the stress’s of life.
- Sleep- You need to make sure you are getting enough sleep. Some people need eight hours, others need 7, some 10 hours. Know how much you need and make sure you are in bed long enough to get that number. Don’t skimp on your sleep. It can affect everything from your concentration, to your mood. Figure out what your personal number is, and then ensure you get it each night.
- Pamper Yourself- We all need to take time out for ourselves, and practicing mindfulness, as you do some pampering, is a great way to relieve stress and help you battle the challenges you face.
- Say No More Often To Others- Many people are what I refer to as “people pleaser’s”, and anytime someone invites them to do something, whether recreational, or pertaining to work, they say yes to any requests made. Now, I am not saying you have to stop helping others, but what I am saying is that you must make time for YOU, and sometimes there isn’t enough time in the day for doing something for others, and then doing something for you. So add the word No to your vocabulary and use it… you will find a balance so you can still do things with and for others, while still making time for you as you work on Becoming The Very Best You.
- Keep a journal- Keeping a journal is a great way to relieve the stress of each and every day. Writing is an excellent way to transfer your worries or concerns into the words you write. Of course you can’t rid yourself of your worries in a literal way, but by “writing out” the negative emotions that cloud your mind, you can certainly reduce the strength of the impact. Understand that you are “writing out all the negative energy” so that all that remains in the positive energy. Doing little things like this will help you to regain some sense of control, and help you to rewire your brain to be a positive thinker, positive dreamer, positive believer, and create a positive atmosphere for personal growth, and learning.
- Never Stop Learning- Once we are finished with college, nobody wants to look at another school book again! Well, at least I think most of us have that reaction. You don’t have to go back to school for the type of learning I am talking about (unless you want to go back to school), but instead, I am talking about the type of learning that comes from everyday life. We learn constantly by reading books, listening to certain television programs, nature programs, all the websites out in the World Wide Web, YouTube, Smart Phone Apps, Free online courses through EdX, and more. Utilizing certain games, and crossword puzzles are also another great way to continue learning. Our brain is like anything else on our bodies… the more we use it, the stronger it grows. Read fiction and non-fiction, play Sudoku. As you grow older, engage in these brain activities to stay quick as a whip, help your short-term memory, and combat disease processes that come about as we age, such as Alzheimer’s.
Don’t be afraid to take your life back… your brain doesn’t get to take control and run off with your good sense. Negativity is everywhere, but you don’t have to buy into it. Fight it with the tools mentioned above, and look for new ways to care for you!
Start out by finding what you are passionate about, and then start doing those things! Decide to be passionate about YOU, and allow that passion to guide you to the things that put a skip in your step. Doing the things you are passionate about will help you to combat mental and physical issues that arise, and is an important step in your journey to becoming the very best you… and an important step in your endeavor to rewire your brain to be positive first… to be the person you want to be.
Becoming the very best you.
Stay tuned as we get closer to releasing our book by the same name! We would love you to join along as you are on your own personal journey to self-growth, self-love, and self-acceptance. It is never too late to be the person you want to be.