The concept of self-care has received much attention in recent years. It makes sense with a population that, despite technological advances, is even busier with work and family and dealing with the increasing stress and anxiety that goes along with that.
What is Self-Care?
Self-care refers to anything that can keep you physically, mentally, socially and spiritually healthy. It is crucial to take the time to ensure your health, not just for yourself, but for those you care for. With World Mental Health Day on October 10, we rounded up 15 of the simplest ways you can keep yourself healthy, because health on all fronts affects your mental health
Ideas on How to Practice Self-Care
Get Good Sleep
Many would argue that every aspect of your health starts with a good night’s sleep. It may sound trite, but we all know how amazing it feels when we’re well-rested. Sleep is when your body repairs itself; reconnecting synapses, restoring cellular vitality, and even building muscle happens when we sleep. Good sleep improves mood and mental health and gives us the energy to face the day’s challenges.
Eat Healthy
Diet and nutrition have garnered attention recently, especially as they pertain to America’s health issues and a diet largely fueled by ultra-processed foods. Food is medicine, and the best way to care for your body is to focus on whole foods that are low in sugar. High-sugar diets are responsible for a host of issues, from insulin sensitivity and Type II diabetes to inflammatory responses within the body. Whole foods rich in nutrients that the body recognizes easily are the best way to improve health, stave off disease and increase your energy levels.
Get a Massage
We sing the praises of massage benefits often. Massage can improve your physical well-being, from improvements in circulation to lymphatic health. The calming and relaxing effects of massage can improve mental health as well. What’s great about massage is that it truly feels like you’re pampering yourself. Massage is something most people want to do as opposed to gathering the willpower to change a diet or hit the gym. It’s an easy way to partake in self-care while reaping serious benefits.
Take massage self-care a step further by removing the hassles of appointments and travel by getting a massage chair. Get immersive relaxation on-demand with a luxury massage chair by OHCO. Take this step toward self-care by applying massage to your everyday routine
Work Out
Exercise is one of the three core pillars of self-care, along with diet and sleep. Diet and sleep will help you get the most out of your workout routine and vice-versa. Maintaining strength and fitness is an indispensable element to longevity and vitality. Whether you walk 30 minutes a day, play a round of golf, or train for a triathlon, physical exertion reaps physical and mental benefits. Add massage to your exercise routine to further promote self-care and a holistic approach to your health.
Meditate
In recent years, the art of meditation has permeated mainstream culture. Once thought to be an eccentric element of Eastern medicine and the topic of hippies and gurus, meditation is now widely viewed as an essential way to embrace self-care. It’s not just relaxing when you trigger mental, physical and cognitive health benefits. Meditation allows us to “turn off the noise” in everyday life – the email, the cellphone, the kids, the parents – and focus our mind’s energy. It allows us to sidestep the clutter in our minds and focus on ourselves for the day or, if done at the end of the day, prepare for sleep.
Stretch
Flexibility is one of the keys to maintaining youth, especially in terms of how being flexible delivers overall health benefits. Use a stretch routine to counter the repetitive movements or lack of movement in everything from desk work to intense physical training, or take it a step further by practicing yoga. Allowing time for yourself to attend to flexibility can prevent injury, improve balance, and keep your body limber and resilient as you take on your everyday tasks.
Drink Water
Now, this sounds simple, but countless distractions in the day could prevent you from taking proper care of yourself through hydration. On average, Americans consume 2.5 cups of water per day, which is far short of the recommended 10 cups per day. Even mild dehydration can make you fatigued, cloud the mind, inhibit the removal of toxins from the body and even impact how you look by aging the skin.
Rock Out (or Just Listen to Music)
Sometimes, a quick mental break with your favorite music can do wonders as a self-care technique. Taking the time to escape with your favorite music can be the mental break you need to refocus and recalibrate. You can take it a step further by hosting a private (or public) dance party. The music, coupled with the physical activity of dancing, can put a smile on your face and stimulate your senses while you break a sweat.
Read
We all know reading can be an escape. Far more stimulating for your mind than watching TV or internet videos, as it’s your imagination that fills in all the visuals to bring the stories to life, reading can insulate your mind (while still giving it a little workout) from the daily grind that piles on the stress. Now, we’d recommend steering clear of work reading or even politics, which can ignite your anxiety, and opting for fiction or other non-fiction topics such as history or self-help that can provide a mental getaway.
See a Therapist
Another topic that has moved from the realm of “new age” to mainstream is therapy. You don’t even have to have an issue to resolve, but being able to speak freely and be heard by a neutral, professional third party can be a powerful act of self-care. You get the satisfaction of “getting something off your chest,” and you have a professional to help you build strategies to strengthen your mental health and find healthy ways to cope with everyday stress.
Limit Screen Time
The state of our current lives makes us addicted to our screens. From the endorphin rush of social media ‘likes’ to shopping, texting, and email, humans in the 21st century find themselves in front of a screen for an average of 6 hours and 40 minutes globally (7 hours on average in the US). Working on a screen is a source of stress; social media can induce anxiety, and even if you’re relaxing, the blue light from screens can affect vision and sleep quality. A simple step toward caring for yourself can start with decreasing screen time and increasing time on some items in this list.
Find a Hobby
A hobby can be a healthy way to indulge yourself. It can get you away from daily stresses such as computer screens and have almost a meditative quality as your mental focus is on something you enjoy and often creates a sense of self-satisfaction. From carpentry and cooking to writing a memoir, practicing jiu jitsu, or mastering puzzles, hobbies unburden our minds from daily pressures and think creatively.
Prioritize Time With Friends and Family
People who work with the infirmed or dying all have this same insight in common: no one ever says they wished they had worked more. They often wish they spent more time with the ones they loved. Although they can be a source of stress, family and friends offer humans a sense of connection, which is a simple way to practice self-care.
Practice Open Communication
Don’t keep your feelings “bottled up.” We’ve all heard that because it is healthier for your mind and your relationships to be clear in what you want, how you feel, and what you mean when you communicate with friends, family, co-workers, and people you interact with daily. Open communication can enhance problem-solving and innovation in groups and promote accountability and transparency while reducing conflict in relationships. Open communication counts as self-care and also helps those you interact with.
Spend Time in Nature
Spending time in nature crosses paths with exercise, meditation, decreased screen time, and finding spirituality. Nature gets us out of our homes and furniture with screens and fluorescent lighting, gives us exercise, and allows our minds to relax and engage with something bigger than us. The bells and alerts of our digital devices are replaced with the sounds of the wind, water, and animals of the natural world. This can decrease stress and anxiety and give us time for self-reflection and planning while soaking in sunlight away from traffic and commerce.
Awaken Your Spirituality
Spiritual self-care doesn’t have to involve religion, although it certainly can. According to Verywell Mind, spiritual self-care involves anything that helps you develop a deeper sense of meaning and understanding. Staying connected with the beliefs and values that guide your life can minimize anxieties and fears created by concerns out of your control or the unknown. We often don’t even realize how much time we waste worrying. Belief in something bigger than ourselves gives us and our daily struggles a greater purpose, helping us accept the present moment with joy and gratitude instead of fear and anxiety.
There are many ways to practice self-care, but dedicating time to yourself is one of the best things you can do for your health. At OHCO, it’s our goal to make your self-care routine your priority.