Tips for Looking After Yourself
Life can get really hectic at times and it’s hard to find the right balance with work, rest and play. I thought it would be nice to write an encouraging blog post and remind all of out there that it’s ok to look after ourselves.
I don’t know about you, but I can feel really guilty when I try take a break or time off work. I feel like there’s always more to do and I shouldn’t be stopping what I’m doing. But the reality is, all of us need rest and we will actually help ourselves to be more productive in the long run if we let ourselves rest when we need it. When I’ve a had proper break, my body feels rested and more energetic, but my mind and emotions benefit too. My thoughts are clearer and more focused, and my whole mood is better!
So here are some tips for looking after yourself that I hope will help. It much easier to say than to do, so make the effort to try some of these out, or come up with some of your own!
- First things first – Know your body. When you need physical rest, your body will let you know. Learn to listen to this, and schedule in some rest time before it’s too late. One of our bodies’ ways of telling us that we need to rest is by getting sick! Don’t wait until you get sick or under the weather to rest. You will end up needing more time off work, and will be far less productive.
- Be aware that your mind needs rest too! I find that I need calm, quiet and recreation to recharge my emotions. Doing something fun or peaceful is always a positive experience, and also helps me to keep my creativity flowing at work. Having a hobby that you can enjoy in your spare time can work really well for this.
- Take a bath. The warm water is soothing for your muscles and will help your body to relax. You can also add bath salts, bubble bath or do a bath detox. My personal favourite is my lavender bath salts. They smell great but really do make me feel relaxed!
- De-clutter and organize. These are two of my favorite things to do and always help clear my mind. I think and feel better when the space around me is in order.
- Sit in the sun for a few minutes every day, or go for a walk to get some fresh air.
- Take some time to pray and/or meditate every day. Taking just 10 minutes out of your day to do this not only has health benefits but will help you to feel calm and at peace. If need be, bring a to-do list with you so that you can jot things down and then allow yourself relax knowing that you can get to them later that day.
- Realise your worth. People (especially myself!) can have a tendency to confuse their work with their worth, and therefore end up working long hours. You need to settle this, that no matter how much or how little you are able to achieve, this does not affect your self worth. So, don’t be so hard on yourself. The more you are able to rest and find balance, the happier you will and the better you will be able to function as a person. You will actually be able to give more of yourself to your family and job, and you will be a better person for being happier!
- Schedule! Don’t just expect pockets of ‘rest time’ to come available during the week. You need to consciously and deliberately schedule these in! Do you have some big deadlines at work coming up? Schedule in some rest/fun time leading up to and after those deadlines. Or try and make it a monthly, weekly or even daily habit. Let this become part of your lifestyle and schedule it in so that it actually happens.
