In busy times it is often our self-care, or ‘caring for ourselves’ routine that goes. We often think ‘oh i don’t have time for that today, there’s too much to do at work’, ‘it’s much more important to watch the news again’, or another reason pops up in our minds.

It’s easy to do, and we all do it, particularly as we’re living in a time where people are expected to work long hours, and world-events are unpredictable and distracting.

The thing is, taking care of ourselves makes us more discerning and productive, and also able to process information with less overwhelm. Once we take care of our bodies and minds, we are then able to take better care of those around us, in our families and communities.

It’s especially important to take that time out at the moment, as our nervous systems are all still a bit frazzled from the pandemic years we’ve been in. Many of us are back to work and burning the candle at both ends, making us not feel ‘not quite like before’. The reality is that many of us do have very full lives, so our self care practice needn’t be that long 🙂

As counselor and self-care advocate Dr. Matt Glowiak from Southern New Hampshire University says: “Even if you only have 5-minute increments spread throughout the day to engage in self-care, that is certainly better than nothing”. (SNHU)

If you are looking for ideas, there are many short and effective meditations, micro-workouts, yoga routines, grounding tools, and self-havening practices online. Thanks YouTube! There’s a video of our latest favourite, face yoga (!) in our last blog.

Sometimes it’s just as simple as taking a few moments to breathe.

Dr. Glowiak also makes some wonderful recommendations for self-care based on 8 dimensions of wellbeing, including:

Emotional – Talk to someone, journal, do something artistic, listen to music, work out, take a walk, cuddle, laugh, take a nap.
Environmental – Take a walk somewhere nice, breathe in fresh air, enjoy the sun, enjoy the night sky, reduce waste, use reusable products, clean your house, redesign a room.
Financial – Develop a practical financial plan.
Intellectual – Take a class, listen to audiobooks, watch documentaries, complete puzzles, be mindful of the world around you, become curious.
Occupational – Train for a promotion, polish your resume, apply for your dream job, take on a task you enjoy.
Physical – Work out daily, take a walk, eat healthy, get 7-9 hours of sleep, get a massage.
Social – Meet up with friends and family, keep in contact with old friends, volunteer, go out, have fun, engage in healthy social media use, exude positivity, utilize technology when distance is a factor, have a big laugh.
Spiritual – Meditate, pray, reflect, engage in yoga, visit a meaningful site, do right by others, be mindful, consider your higher purpose and meaning, look to your higher power for support, love one another, help those in need.

(adapted from Why Self-Care is Important)

By practicing regular ‘caring for yourself’ moments, self-care will again come to the top of your mind each day and lead to a happier and more balanced life.

Warm wishes,

The Stable Team.