Photo By Saz B.
Upon reading the words “self-care,” different thoughts come to mind. Maybe exercising and watching your weight, eating healthily, taking your medications, interacting with friends or even just being a positive person are things you consider to be self-care… And, in fact, you are right. Self-care is not one or three things specifically, but anything you believe will help better yourself in YOUR eyes.
Many years ago, I did not practice self-care. It showed.
The years since, I have realized how utterly important self-care is and the exact self-care routine and steps I take.
Personally, I struggle with self-image, depression and exhaustion. Therefore, I aimed my self-care routine around these three huge factors in my life. Below are four things I do on a daily or weekly basis that incredibly help my self-esteem:
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Sleep at least eight hours a night
This can be a difficult task because of how intensely packed your schedule may be, but sleep will always be important. Numerous studies and personal experience shows the impact of lack of sleep on a person’s mind and how harrowing it can be.
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Take my medications and follow up with my doctor
I struggled with extreme low points for years and could never understand the reasoning until I went to the doctor. If you have never experienced a mental disorder, you probably will not understand what I mean by “extreme low points,” but when if you eventually feel them, you will remember. Long story short, I finally put myself first and went to the doctor. I now take daily medication and it does wonders.
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Choose who I spend my time with
The people you surround yourself with will impact your mindset dramatically. These people will also shape your thoughts and actions, so choose wisely. For the longest time, I chose to be friends with people who were horrible for my self-care and mind. I no longer am, and I have never felt better.
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Think positive thoughts
This one is probably the most difficult of self-care steps for me personally. I always head straight to the negatives, but then I remember to tell myself to think about everything good that could come of a situation and the things that may happen that I have not experienced before.
Self-care is commonly placed on the back-burner for a lot of people, though the importance is major. These four self-care tips help me tremendously, but they may not be your cup of tea, and that is okay. Experiment. Try these out that may work for you and if you find you routine, great! But do NOT give up. In the end, it will be worth all the struggle when you realize what wonders self-care will do for you.