The advice you get for relieving stress can vary quite a bit based on the source since there are so many different options available. However, one thing you might hear from nearly everyone is that you need to practice good self-care.
It is incredibly important that you pay attention to your own needs, make your health a priority, and understand when you need a little more self-love. Here are some reasons why self-care is so important for stress relief.
What People Get Wrong About Self-Care
The first thing to understand about self-care is that it comes in many forms, and might include activities and tasks that you never associated with self-care.
In its essence, self-care is all about doing something for you and nobody else. This can be different for everyone, so while many people do feel that reading a book or taking a bubble bath is self-care, it goes far beyond these basic tasks.
Self-care can mean making time to visit friends, exercising or going for a walk, eating a meal you love, or spending time with your pet.
It is also really important to remember that self-care is not selfish. It isn’t about being by yourself as much as possible or only doing things that benefit you. It is simply an act of being intentional to take good care of yourself, which everyone needs to do more of.
Why You Should Turn to Self-Care First
When you are dealing with a lot of stress and overwhelm in your life, you are in need of a mental break. The first thing you should consider doing when you feel this way is adding more self-care into your life. While lack of self-care might not be the reason you have a lot of stress, it can still be very beneficial to how you feel on a daily basis.
It can also help you to take a step back, relax your mind and body, and re-focus your thoughts. This is going to keep you from just trying to stay busy and get as much done as possible, but actually take action with intention. This makes it to where every action you take, you know the objective, instead of just trying to stay busy. This is a common mistake many people make who are already under a lot of stress.
Start with Daily Activities for Your Health and Wellbeing
If you aren’t sure what self-care is or how to get started with it, just start small with daily activities. Think about what you can do for yourself that helps your physical or mental health, reduce stress, and help you relax. Some daily activities that can be considered self-care include:
- Getting better sleep
- Relaxing
- Writing in a journal or planner
- Spending quiet time to read
- Drinking more water
- Eating healthier foods
- Exercising
Tap into Your Senses
The next thing you can do is think about activities that help to bring out your senses. Think about the different senses you can focus on, such as tasting, touching, listening, smelling, and seeing. Each of these senses helps you to remain calm and be more mindful, through very basic activities. Here are some good examples:
- Listen to music, rain, or running water
- Feel the hot water and smell the fragrance of a bubble bath
- Get a massage
- Watch flames in a fire in your living room
- Feel a soft blanket
Very simple activities can be considered self-care, and also allow you to tap into your different senses in order to be mindful and start relieving your stress.
Other Self-Care Activities for Stress
Moving beyond the basics, you can do anything for yourself that makes you feel happy and relaxed, and that can be considered a self-care activity. Think about what you can do at home, and outside the home. Going on a road trip or a vacation, having coffee with a friend, having a date night with a significant other, and going to your weekly art class can all be great for self-care.
Remember that self-care is whatever you make of it it is something that helps you feel better, whether mentally or physically. It is crucial when you are trying to reduce your overall stress and anxiety.
