You may spend a lot of your time taking care of the needs of other people, both emotional and physical. However, if you don't take care of your own needs, you will burn out at some point either emotionally, physically or in both ways. This breakdown can not only be a highly unpleasant experience, but it can also leave all those folks that are depending on you without the help they need. For that reason, it is important that you prioritize self-care, something that you can learn more about by reading the guide below.
Do have alone time.
One of the most important aspects of getting self-care right is understanding that no matter how extroverted or introverted we are we all need some alone time at some point or another. It's also important understands that asking for this isn't selfish! In fact, you should see it more as a necessity, and a way to recharges and appreciate the other people in your life better. That is why everyone should try and schedule in at least a little alone time every day.
Don't ignore problems.
Next, to be able to care for yourself properly you have to recognize problems when they occurred. They will, of course, occurs because we are only human and no one can be perfect.
In fact, it is a better attitude to realize that there will be bumps along the path of life and that they need to be dealt with as you go along rather than trying to be flawless all the time. It's also crucial to remember that asking for help from others or professionals is reasonable, as can help you to see that you don't have to suffer and solve all your issue alone.
Don't use maladaptive coping strategies.
Sometime when we don't know any better, we can fall into destructive ways of caring for ourselves. These are what are know as maladaptive coping strategies, and they involved ways of comforting ourselves that are bad for us in the long run. This may include bad habits such as smoking, drinking, and overeating and even relying on others for our sense of self-worth, a condition that is known as codependency.
Happily, there we can take action to treat these issues, something that is discussed in more detail in this Detox to Rehab post. After all, isn't it better that we learn ways of coping and caring for ourselves and so avoid burnout and breakdown both physical and mental in the future?
Do prioritize physical fitness.
Exercise is a fantastic part of self-care not only because of all the positive effects it has on the body such as circulating better-oxygenated blood and getting your heart rate up but also because of the fantastic effect it has on the mind as well.
In fact, just 30 mins of exercise a day can help reduce your risk of anxiety and depression and get those happy chemicals released into your body. Something that means exercise can have a positive effect on your day to day mood and is an essential part of healthy self-care.
