You may do a good job taking care of other people. You might be great at listening, forgiving, and accepting others. However, it’s likely that you don’t do a good job taking care of yourself. No matter how much you accept other people, you can’t stop judging yourself.
If your head is full of negative thoughts and self images, if you have a hard time letting go of failures, or if you criticize yourself on a regular basis, then you need some better self care. Taking good care of yourself is the first step towards a better life, since it’s easier to love others when you love yourself. If you judge yourself, you’ll be tempted to judge family, friends, and strangers. However, if you accept yourself, you’ll find yourself accepting others with more ease.
A life where you love yourself is a life worth living, so it’s time to start taking great care of you. It might feel silly at first, but proper self care is suggested by doctors and psychologists around the world. Only you are responsible for you, so it’s time to start caring well for yourself. Here are four steps toward better self care.
Take Care of Your Emotions
Your emotions may be the most neglected part of your life. As adults, we don’t always think about our emotions in great detail. We might feel the need to talk to a friend or spouse now and then, but we seldom devote time to feeling our feelings. Psychologists say that the key to healing is feeling our emotions with authenticity. When we acknowledge our true feelings about a situation, and allow time to feel the emotions inside us, we heal.
For you and your emotions, it’s important to spend time acknowledging them. You may want to explore your feelings in the company of a therapist. Either way, it’s important to start acknowledging your feelings and being present with them. Try journalling, or making art. You can take your feelings out on a walk, snap some photos, and turn those moments into canvas printing. You may think of such exercises as childish at first, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Take Care of Your Work
Your job is your source of income. For many, it’s also their source of self-esteem. When you lose your job, fail to get the job you want, or get criticized at work, you feel like your ego suffered a punch. Your work is important, both to your self-perception, and your ability to provide for yourself. It shouldn’t be your source of meaning, but it is an area in which you can extend self care.
You can take care of yourself at work in a few ways. One of the best ways is saying, “no.” Make sure you don’t take on someone else’s job and problems. Stand up for yourself. Don’t let someone higher up pass their problems to you. Decline in a polite manner, and keep your workload unburdened. Be ready for problems in your work days, and don’t sweat the small stuff. When you can be prepared, like knowing where truck fleet repair is available for your trucker job, do so. That kind of care for your work comfort is a great self care technique.
Take Care of Your Things
Most people own a car, live in their own space, and buy their own things, and you probably do, too. You likely own a car, live in a house or an apartment, own a laptop, and more. You know how much these things cost, and you keep them running well. You might not, however, keep them clean or looking good, and that plays a role in your self-esteem.
You’ll feel better about yourself if you drive in a clean car, live in a beautifully arranged, neat home, and own appliances that always work like new. It doesn’t have to be expensive to fill your home with beauty, since the right paint colors, or simple wall art, can do wonders. A good decluttering feels good, too. If your blender causes you regular smoothie frustration, try looking for a better one at Goodwill, if you can’t afford a new one. If your car is dented, repair it, and get paint overspray removed. Taking the best possible care of your possessions inspires you to take good care of you.
Take Care of Your Body
Your body needs a great deal of care. The way you treat your body is a reflection of how you feel about yourself. If you don’t shower as much as you should, don’t always apply deodorant, wear baggy clothes, etc., it’s a sign you don’t think well of yourself. On the other hand, starting to take care of your body can trick your mind. We spend time on the things that matter to us. If you start spending time on yourself, you’ll start to remember how valuable you are.
Stick to a hygiene routine. Wean yourself off bad habits. Trade smoking for cheap ejuice vaping. Wear clothes that fit you well and look sharp. Take good care of your hair, nails, skin, and makeup, if you wear it. Devoting special time every day to your physical appearance can keep you feeling proud of yourself. You may not feel as confident as you look, but you can fake it until you make it. You deserve proper self care, and a great place to start is care of your body.
Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to be complicated or messy. It can start with a few simple steps, like taking a luxurious bubble bath every Wednesday night or getting a makeover with a new haircut. You deserve to be loved and cared for by everyone in your life, including yourself. So next time you have a choice between self care and letting things slide, choose to take care of yourself. Over time, you’ll experience an upwards trend in joy, satisfaction, and contentment.