Stress affects nearly everyone at some point and over time. It can lead to serious health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Practicing self-care regularly can help you relieve stress and boost your health.

There are a few major goals of self-care methods:

• Check in with your mind and body. Self-care allows us to check in with ourselves and attune to all parts of our being that may need some extra attention — mind, body, and spirit.
• Rest and recharge. Self-care is also an opportunity for us to recharge, replenish, and renew after a period of hard work.
• Bring the focus back to yourself. We find ourselves so often pouring into other’s cups (family, work, partners etc.) that we forget ourselves. Each time you practice self-care you are telling yourself ‘I am important’.

With those goals in mind, here are ten tips for practicing self-care to live a happy, healthy life.

1.  Declutter your space

Your environment will impact your mental health. This means that being in a clean, organised environment can help you feel calmer and more focused. This may be especially helpful if you work from home, but it’s also nice to simply relax in a clean, decluttered room. When things are already chaotic in our brains, visually seeing things as chaotic doesn’t help either. Try your best to organize your space in the best way you can.

2.  Meditate

Meditating has so many spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical benefits. For example, meditation can give your brain a chance to rest and recharge, using techniques like being aware of the present, checking in with your body and focusing on your breathing. All of these techniques support balance, grounding, and reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms. A 2014 review found that people who participated in mindfulness meditation programs saw improvements in their symptoms of anxiety, depression, and to a lesser extent stress.

3. Go for a Walk or Run

Going for a walk or run is a great option for daily self-care because it gives you a chance to go outside, get fresh air, and move your body. A 2015 review of seven studies found that aerobic exercise, like walking or running, can reduce anxiety symptoms for people with anxiety disorders. This may be because doing aerobic exercise releases endorphins in your brain, which can boost your mood.

4. Say no

It’s easy to get into a pattern of always saying yes to social plans, extra work activities, or other people’s requests, even if you don’t have enough time or energy to really engage. Saying no to certain obligations can help free up time for yourself — self-care requires that we reserve enough time for the activities and relationships that are deeply replenishing. If we fill our calendars with things we dislike, we don’t have enough room for the things that truly bring us joy.

5. Go on a weekend trip

When you’re used to following your busy daily routine, it’s easy to get burnt out and not notice. Weekend trips can provide a much-needed change of pace and the visual shift in scenery can offer a kind of newness that inspires creativity, wonder, and openness. It can be hard to find time or money for a full vacation, but even a short trip to the next town over or to a nearby nature reserve can help you feel renewed and boost your energy upon return.

6. Spend time in nature

Taking a walk in a natural environment like a forest or a park can help clear your mind and act as a reset during the day.

7. Do yoga

Yoga is a great self-care tool because it encourages mind, body, and spirit alignment. Yoga can help decrease anxiety and depression symptoms. This is because yoga can help reduce overactivity in your nervous system and regulates the stress hormone cortisol. Yoga is extremely beneficial for all those who wish to deeply connect to their bodies while being meditative and present.

8. Try journaling

Writing in a journal can be a great way to slow down and connect with your thoughts and feelings. And it doesn’t take long to see results. Here are a few journaling techniques you can try:

• Write a list of things you’re grateful for.
• Write down all your negative thoughts and feelings, then throw away the paper.
• Write down how you feel each day, then look back at your entries to see patterns in your mood.
• If you don’t know what to write, just write any thoughts that come into your head, no matter how minor.

9. Eat fruits and vegetables

When you’re especially busy, it can be easier to grab the quickest or easiest foods to eat, which are often pre-packaged and not the healthiest. Taking a moment to make yourself a fresh fruit bowl or chopped veggies can give you a boost of nutrients like anthocyanins that boost brain function. Eating raw fruits and veggies like carrots, bananas, and spinach helps to decrease depression symptoms.

10. Watch something funny

If you spend a lot of free time reading grim news stories, taking a break to watch a funny show or clip can be a great self-care tool. Laughing feels good emotionally, but it’s also good for your physical health.

Some of the benefits of laughter include:

• Calming your stress response
• Decreasing your blood pressure (after a short-term increase while you laugh)
• Relaxing your muscles
• Increasing your blood circulation

Source

EAP Assist (Employee Assistance Program)