Self Care Practices For A Healthy Mind & Body

The pandemic has given us a chance to slow down and also get familiar with our untended emotions, but little do we know how to address these profuse emotions caving in. It is very well known and accepted that you can’t pour from an empty cup. But do we adhere to the phrase and indulge in replenishing ourselves?

We, as humans, have trouble taking out time for ourselves and prioritizing self-care. It often takes falling sick to persuade us to give ourselves the time and care we need. 

Research evidence points out that choosing to be alone for even 15 minutes could lead to more relaxation and less stress. Disregarding self-care and not listening to your body is very prevalent, but the outcomes can be very severe. It’s not okay to allow one’s mental and emotional health to suffer in the name of “performing and completing it all.”

If you’re also struggling to take care of yourself due to the fast pace of your daily grind, consider following these tips.

Block out time for self-care in your schedule

It’s not just enough to stop your busy lifestyle occasionally, take a stroll, or indulge in something just out of the blue. Self-care is an ongoing process. Just as you reserve time in your schedule for other aspects of your life, one has to set aside time to take care of oneself, too. Spending quality time with yourself every day helps to avoid burnout, increase your productivity, and allow you to enjoy life.

Remove the clutter of your life

According to industry research, the clutter and mess around you do not let you work proficiently. When one is surrounded by visual clutter, distractions, and ‘stuff’ all the time, it never gives the mind and eyes white spaces to rest on and increases your stress levels too.

Whether it’s decluttering the mess from your almirah or just your workstation, removing clutter will uplift the mood. Eliminate the things that no longer serve you. One gets a sense of control and also less decision fatigue simply because discarding items and organising them makes one own fewer things. Hence, fewer things to decide about.

Do one selfish act

It isn’t recommended that you act the whole day selfishly. But doing one selfish act that fetches happiness can be a good trick. 

When one spends the energy and time just taking care of others, there comes a situation wherein there’s nothing left for you. By taking out time to do one trivial selfish act, which could be anything from reading a novel that you have wanted to read for long, or just ignoring a phone call when you don’t feel like talking, helps in some ‘me’ time. Prioritize and make time for the hobbies and activities that one already enjoys but seldom gets time to invest in them.

Indulge in physical activity

Daily exercise can aid in both physical and mental well-being, uplifting the mood and reducing stress and anxiety. Initially, it may be hard to follow an exercise regime, but keeping wellbeing in mind incorporates exercises, such as walking, jogging, or yoga, which may not be so difficult for the schedule. The most significant task is to create a routine that works for you.

Gratitude for each day

Practising gratitude every day helps one stay grounded. Even while we don't have the patience to jot it down, just taking out a moment to close our eyes and thinking of 3 simple things we are grateful for is enough. One can just start by being thankful for a new day, house help, and so on. This will help in acknowledging the things in our life that we often take for granted. This practice will shift the perspective to a whole new light.

Your mental health matters as much as your physical health. As often as we take breaks when we are sick due to an illness, it is crucial to replenish ourselves mentally too. One should always look out for ways that work for them to keep the stress levels low and take care of themselves. You can take HappiLIFE screening to know more about various facets of your mental wellbeing which will help you to know more about your strengths and areas of improvement. You can also gain access to our content library and look at various articles and videos that can help you in self-care.