What I Do When I Forget to Practice Self-Care

I’m of the belief that self-care is one of the most important aspects of life. Self-care encompasses every aspect of life. I believe our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional lives all need attention and taking steps to make sure those are all balanced is incredibly important. As humans, we often forget to take care of ourselves in certain aspects of our lives. Trust me, I do it too. I often let two or three aspects of my life become very important, while leaving out one. It can be hard to focus on everything, between work, school, family, friends and everything life throws at us to remember to focus on our own self-care. So I’m going to tell you some things I do to take care of myself.

One thing I do for self-care is listen to music I enjoy. I know it may seem like a simple thing — it is. I enjoy sitting in my recliner and putting on some vinyl (hipster alert). It can be one of the easiest things to do at the end of a day. Find yourself a place to just put your headphones on and get into your music. Whether it’s rock, pop, jazz, worship music, country or rap, find a way to just listen to your music. Trust me, it helps.

Another great thing is to find some sort of exercise you love. Exercising can help stimulate your brain, releasing endorphins, which can help to combat depression and anxiety. I personally love biking. It’s a great way to get outdoors on a nice day.

Spending all day in bed is OK sometimes. Don’t be afraid to lay in bed all day and watch your favorite movies or catch up on a TV show or play video games all day. I love laying in bed and binging Netflix.

Next to last, I love going on adventures. I love traveling, I would do it all the time if I could. I’ve been to the top of mountains and to the bottom of the second largest canyon in the United States. I’ve been to lakes and rivers and fields and oceans, seen fields of green and skies that were orange at sunset. And I’ve loved every minute of it. Half of those memories were spontaneous. Find you some friends who want to go places with you. Or go by yourself.

Lastly, find something you are passionate about. Something you can do or talk about or do research on. Then do that. For me, I love writing and talking about mental illness. I love helping people with life. Writing this piece right now, is self-care for me. Writing and talking about mental health is one of the best medicines for me.

My point is this: be kind to yourself. Do what you love, always. If you don’t enjoy something or if it’s hurting you, don’t do it. If you need a break, take it. Don’t be afraid to say you need help or that you’re hurting. Take care of yourself. If you have to go and find yourself, do it.

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Thinkstock photo via Mike Powell.