The past 6 months have indeed been a testing and an excruciating time for most of us out there. We were taken aback by some of the hard truths. What once was taken to be as granted, is no longer a frivolity today. One aspect that I can refer to is, the idea of serious self-care. I’ve come to believe that self-care is the key in coping with challenging and uncertain times. Nonetheless of what time it is, if I am not happy, I am sure that I can’t give away that positive vibe out there for sure.
So, in this blog post, I am going to mention some of my personalized ideas (which are tried and tested and have done wonders to me) that one can learn and try to implement it in the days to come
So let’s commence!
(i) Setting limits to social media and news
Of course, like you all would have guessed, I should put this in the top of my list, because as you know today, chills are going down our spine every time we see a surge in the cases of this COVID – 19 pandemic. The face of our planet have enormously changed and to be honest, I am literally trembling to watch the news. Rapes, racial discrimination, murder, suicide etc… and what not? These did take a massive toll on my mental health. And I must confess, I used to pick up the newspaper every morning, and before starting my office work, I would glance just the main news and man……that made my mornings bitter and ruined my peace of mind to the core.
And after deliberate attempts, I have consciously set myself a limit on how much I spend time in watching the news and social media. I make sure that 6pm – 7 pm is the time every day that I allot in specific to this turf, so that my sanity is at check and is not dwindling at this moment. This has created a huge difference in my life. I am not saying that the news has made me comfy, of course, the negative news are nerve wracking, but post watching everything, I give myself some time to introspect and be grateful for the things that I have and the place that I am in.
(ii) Journaling
The second most important self-care tip is to practice journaling. I have an entire blog post that I have put up as to what journaling is, along with some of my personalized strategies and prompts to get you started, if you’re a newbie to the journaling world
(iii) Practicing gratitude
Now, needless to say, I couldn’t stress enough about the importance of having the mindset of gratitude in today’s day and age. With all the uncertainty that’s going on, yes I completely agree that it’s difficult to focus on the positives and there is something that makes us to keep ruminating on the negatives. I am not saying it’s wrong, it’s totally natural to feel that way, but it is important to ensure that we don’t fall prey to it.
Click on the link above and I have given some examples on how to make gratitude a part of YOU and your lifestyle. Irrespective of uncertain times or not, being thankful for all the good and bad should never be taken lightly
(iv) Spending time with family
There is a saying that “You are lucky if, you have a roof above your head, food on the plate and a tight knitted family who love you” and I couldn’t agree more on the same. Because, let me tell you a hard fact, when you go to bed tonight, you always plan for the next day or sometimes think that “ah…I will do this tomorrow” and you do that because, you have HOPE, that you will wake up the next day. But do you really know, that’s possible every time? That isn’t true at all….I have come to a point wherein I have introspected and took many things for granted, because I didn’t value it then. Today, they have become just mere memory. And that’s why, I couldn’t stress hard on the fact that, you should never take spending time with your loved ones for granted. You never might know, when the last conversation might be. Think about it …..If not now, then when?
Click the link above, to know some great ideas on spending time with your loved ones.
(v) Catch up on some binge worthy TV shows
Gone are the days when we used to sit in front of a television, and wait hours and perhaps days to watch one of the most sought after shows to be aired on TV.With the digital era at a peak and the consumption of online media at a fast pace, it is quite difficult to know which particular series or drama to watch first.
There is absolutely nail biting and amazing content on Streaming sites today. Let me confess one thing here, even if you just watch TV shows or movies that you love, that is indeed a form of self-care my fellow readers
(vi) Listen to some soulful music
A good music is an instant mood lifter. Even, when you are at your lowest lows, it has been scientifically proved that music has the power to unleash peace and strength within. I personally switch on Spotify or YouTube and play some calming music in the background while I am working or doing some chores. This is indeed an instant gratification method.
Feel free to recommend me some interesting playlists in the comments section!
(vii) Read books and listen to podcasts
Books are of course an unfathomable love for me.I have learnt some of the best life lessons by reading books. (And yes, watch out this space for my suggestions of book on each category – will be doing be a post on the same in the coming weeks). I have some pretty cool lists and I am actually in the filtering stage, because I feel like I want to give my readers some of the best and uplifting books.
On the other hand, if you would like to explore the world of podcasts, I have got you covered.
(viii) Meditation
This is one thing which I am challenging myself to improve, because throughout all YT videos, podcasts and interviews, I have seen people preaching about meditation and I have given myself the liberty to take 15 minutes off from my everyday life and to be still. Being still and doing nothing are two very different things…please don’t forget that. One simple technique that I have started doing, since the past week is just being silent and observing the things around me, for instance the birds chirping, wind in my hair, the smell of fresh coffee etc…Try it like this, and I am sure that in the coming weeks it will change your mind set for sure.
(ix) Practicing affirmations
Affirmations are declarations that we say to ourselves to lift us up. Talking to myself kind of helps me feel calmer and mentally stronger. It’s also a strategy that can get easier in time, the more you practice it. I mean, just have this thought in your head “Nobody can save you other than you”
Some of the sample affirmations that I use are:
(i) I will be okay and I will come out well against all odds
(ii) I am doing the best I can
(iii) What people think about me is none of my business. I am so proud that I have come this far
(x) Prioritizing Sleep
Last but not definitely not the least, out of all the above steps will go into absolute waste, if we don’t prioritize our sleep schedule. A sound soul is what leads to a sound body. Hence, there shouldn’t be any compromise done to let our sleep go to waste. There should be an uninterrupted 7-8 hours of sleep for us to function better. One tip, that I can give is, make sure that your phone is kept well away from the bed, so that you don’t scroll through it all night long
So, there you have it folks!
These are my personal tips that keeps me sort of going and in the game. I am sure by now, all of us would have understood the importance of self-care and it should never be compromised in place of overworking or running behind money!
Sometimes, it is essential to pause and reflect…. Because, you never know what might happen down the road.
Take care peeps!
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