Self-care is essential to your mind, body, and spirit. By taking the time out of your day and giving yourself a second to self-care can have long-lasting and positive effects for you. Here are some different ideas for self-care and how to increase your overall positivity.
A: AROMATHERAPY
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Aromatherapy, also known as Essential Oil therapy, is the art and science of using naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to help and promote the health of the body, mind, and spirit. It has many health benefits such as the ability to reduce anxiety and depression, boost energy levels, and help with your overall physical health.
B: BE YOURSELF
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Being yourself rather than someone you think will please others helps eliminate stress. It is a hard game to keep pretending to fit a particular mold. Be proud of who you are and flaunt it.
C: CLEAN AND DECLUTTER
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Cleaning can be very therapeutic for some, and for others, it just seems like a chore. For those who feel obligated to clean, but don’t enjoy it try and remember the feeling you have after coming home and seeing your room clean. Think that your washing out the old, and ready to start with the new.
D: DITCH UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
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If there are people that you know are bad for you, but you seem to find yourself keep talking to them and following them on social media platforms, it is time to let go. You should try and surround yourself with positive and healthy people that will help you succeed and be happy for you.
E: EAT HEALTHY AND HAPPY FOODS
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Eating healthy and happy foods can have positive effects on your health. Notice how your body is more awake and ready to get stuff done, rather than your typical procrastination of lying in bed and watching Netflix. You will find yourself being more productive than ever.
F: FRESH AIR
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Fresh air is known to have many health benefits for your body. One of which includes how fresh air makes you happier. The more fresh air you get, the more oxygen you’ll receive increasing the amount serotonin that you inhale. Serotonin can be referred to as the “happy hormone.”
G: GRATITUDE
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Being thankful for the things you do have in your life, rather than the stuff you don’t will increase your positive perspective on your experience. Try writing a list every day of five things you’re grateful for and see how different your outlook on your life can be.
H: HEADSPACE: THE APP
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Headspace is an app that you can download on your smartphone that uses a series of cartoons to illustrate universal meditation principles. It is designed to help you remain calm and focused during your meditation.
I: INVEST IN PERSONAL TIME
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Everyone needs time in their day where they are not in constant competition with time and trying to get assignments done. Try and give yourself a break now and then. This break can include practicing medication, working on a new thing, or lying down in bed and watching Netflix—there’s nothing wrong with binge watching a show or two.
J: JOURNAL AND REFLECT
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The more I’ve been joining, the more I realize the positive effects of trying to get my mind clear and able to reflect. It has helped me become more self-aware, intuitive, and focused. I suggest finding a time every day or every other day where you know you can always journal then. It will help you sort out those many thoughts that are continually racing in your head.
K: KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
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Although this quote is so early 2000’s there is an essential meaning behind it. You shouldn’t let life get you down. The most important lesson I’ve learned is that it doesn’t matter how many times you fall; it just matters how you pick yourself up. Keep calm and keep carrying on.
L: LISTEN TO UPLIFTING MUSIC
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There are so many songs that are released about breaking up, but there are songs that are great for empowering you to keep moving on and even let go of those negative people in your life. If you need some ideas, check out this article.
M: MINDFULNESS
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Mindfulness is seen as the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the present. People commonly call it ”being in the moment” and allowing the present experiences to affect you. This training can be developed through meditation and other calming self-care techniques.
N: NO, SAY “NO”
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Sometimes in life, we need to practice saying “no.” We can’t always stretch ourselves bare thin. We all need to realize that if people can say “no” to you then why can’t you do the same? We should recognize that creating boundaries and saying “no” is more empowering than hindering.
O: OPEN YOURSELF TO POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITIES
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If we remain so stuck in fear of being hurt, if we are scared of risking anything in the life we live now, if we don’t step outside our comfort zones, then we won’t see what amazing opportunities we could experience. Life is supposed to be experienced and lived, which is why rejecting opportunities to experience it to its fullest potential is only hindering yourself.
P: POSITIVITY
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Staying positive is hard, especially when it seems like everything is crashing down and you have no control. But if you remain positive and have confidence that you are capable of pushing yourself through, you’ll notice how much potential you hold. Stay positive about yourself and the outcomes that are contained in your life.
Q: QUOTES
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Quotes have a way of helping you stay more positive and can help you realize that you are not alone. Quotes are capable of empowering people and helping them understand different aspects of their life.
R: REMAIN OPTIMISTIC
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Remaining optimistic and having faith in people can be beneficial. We should recognize that giving people and life a chance to prove us their worth can help you and maybe even bring you more joy than if you didn’t remain optimistic in how things will work out in the end.
S: SELF LOVE
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When you love yourself, you can finally be able to enjoy others. The most crucial relationship may be with your loved ones, but it is also with yourself. It’s important to treat yourself with the same kindness you would handle your loved ones with. It is beneficial to your mental health that you are your own best friend. I suggest writing one thing you like about yourself every day.
T: TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR MISTAKES
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Sometimes we don’t want to recognize where we went wrong and where we could have handled something more adequately. We are scared of letting ourselves be accountable because we don’t want to realize that we were, in fact, wrong. But if you give yourself the time to acknowledge your mistakes, you will be able to grow and continue being stronger in life.
U: UNDERSTAND YOURSELF
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Understanding yourself is vital in trying to figure out what you want from life and, especially, people. If you know your personality and expectations, you will be able to guide yourself in the direction that you want and the direction that will be ultimately more positive in your life.
V: VOLUNTEER
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Volunteering can leave a positive and empowering impact on you afterward. After seeing the effect, you have on people can make you realize the actual result you can have on people. Everyone needs help, and sometimes some people need more help than others. Volunteering allows you to step outside your head and realize the bigger picture.
W: WORK-LIFE BALANCE
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Bring your work to your life once you leave work can be very detrimental to your health and can often clog up your view up your life. When that is happening, I suggest taking a step back and realize that this is your time to focus on anything but work. The time after work, or off of work, is your break, so don’t stress as much as you do.
X: XENODOCHIAL
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Xenodochia is an adjective that can be used to describe a person that is friendly to strangers. It can be related to doing one small act of kindness to someone you don’t know. You may not know how much the person needs to see a person’s humanity and love.
Y: YOGA
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Yoga is similar to meditation in the way of their health benefits to your mind, body, and spirit. Yoga can be helpful to help you breathe and become calmer, while it can also improve your body’s health.
Z: ZZZs
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Without the proper amount of sleep, we can act differently than if we got the amount of sleep we deserve. Sometimes a lack of sleep can make you unmotivated, cranky/ easily irritated, or lazy. Getting a lack of sleep can not only affect your body’s mind but also your body’s health in negative ways.