Let’s get one thing straight. Self-care isn’t selfish. It isn’t self-indulgence, laziness, or vanity, either. It’s vital to your health and wellbeing. Self-care includes taking care of yourself so that you can stay healthy. Let’s start with what self-care is and what it isn’t.
What is self-care?
Self-care is any activity that you do deliberately to take care of your mental, emotional, or physical health. Self-care looks different for everyone, so you’ll have to figure out what helps you.
Tips for practicing self-care
Schedule your self-care time
Self-care has to be deliberate. Carve out an hour or two each week (or however frequently you need) and allocate that time for it. Schedule that time out and guard it. It’s so easy to let other people and activities take priority over your health and wellbeing, but it is so important that you stand firm in your self-care time. You are important, and you should take care of yourself.
Choose activities that you like
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you should choose things that you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy your self-care practices, they’re not doing anything for you. That’s not to say that all of your self-care time has to be fun or easy.
Sometimes you’ll have to make hard choices and say no in order to preserve your mental health. That might not necessarily feel great in the moment, but will allow you to grow mentally, socially, physically, or emotionally and will help you enjoy future activities more in the future!
Ideas for self-care
1. Prioritize sleep
If you want to take a nap, take a nap.
2. Prepare healthy food for yourself
Preparing healthy food gives you a sense of accomplishment and helps you feel good about your decisions!
3. Move joyfully for at least 30 minutes a day
Don’t exercise out of obligation or hate for your body. Instead, find ways that you can move out of enjoyment! If you hate running, don’t run!
4. Spend time with a pet
Pets give unconditional love and can be a source of strength and comfort for you. Spend time with them!
5. Organize your home or schedule
Organizing your home or schedule helps you have peace of mind—and who doesn’t want a little more of that?
6. Read a book on self-care
If you’re struggling with finding your own personal self-care routine, read a book on self-care to get you started.
7. Practice yoga
Yoga is incredibly relaxing and can help you deal with anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses.
8. Keep a gratitude journal
Gratitude journals have proven to lift moods and help people have a more positive outlook on life.
9. Spend time with loved ones
Spending time with people who lift and build you up is so important. That support system is so vital when you are looking to improve aspects of your life.
Collagen supplements as self-care
You know that feeling when you use a really good skincare product? You feel pampered and like you’re doing something good for your body. That can be a really relaxing feeling.
One great thing that you can do for your body is take collagen supplements. Collagen supplements help your skin, hair, nails, joints, and so much more. Taking Ideal Collagen every day can give you that same feeling that you’re taking care of your body.
