Are you having a rough day? Maybe it’s a rough week, month… or even year. During these difficult times, it’s especially important to take care of yourself. And we don’t mean just physically. Taking care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually are all important. However, it can be hard for people to know how to practice self care. So we put together A-Z ideas for focusing on your own health.
A – Aromatherapy
Use your favorite essential oils to create the space that supports your goals. Want to unwind? Opt for a calming oil like lavender or chamomile. Want something invigorating? Choose something like peppermint, lemon, or grapefruit.
B – Bath
Draw a warm bath or shower to help your muscles relax. This also goes great with A – add a few drops of your essential oils and some Epsom Salt to your bath and enjoy!
C – Color
Remember how much fun it was to color when you were a kid? It is still a great way to de-stress and practice self care. There are plenty of adult coloring books on the market – two that we love are this Psalms Coloring Book or the Color the Words of Jesus Coloring Book.
D – Deep Breathing
A simple breathing exercise that can put your body into a parasympathetic state (the rest and digest state) is the 4-7-8 technique. Place your hand on your belly, and breathe in for the count of four, allowing your stomach to expand. Hold your breath for a count of seven, and then breathe out slowly for the count of 8 while you feel your stomach contract. Do this for about two minutes (or more, if you feel so inclined).
E – Exercise
Physical movement can be a great way to feel better. Choose a form of movement or exercise that works well for your abilities and fitness level. Great options are dancing, swimming, walking, running, biking, and hiking – but feel free to get creative!
F – Friends
Schedule a date with your best friends. Having a strong social network is important to our health, so keep fostering those relationships! Self care doesn’t have to be something you practice alone. *Please note that this post was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of having a physical date with your friends, try FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, or a virtual game night*
G – Garden
Gardening checks the self-care box in a number of ways. First, it’s a light form of exercise. Second, it is time spent in nature. It can be challenging, enjoyable, and rewarding – all things that make it a “flow activity” which research has found increasing creativity, productivity, and happiness.
H – Hydrate
Your body needs water. When life gets busy, it is easy for us to accidentally ignore our thirst or to be too distracted to make sure we are hydrated. Make sure you’re taking care of your body’s physiological needs by aiming to get 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of pure water each day.
I – Ignite your creativity
Remember how much fun you had using your imagination as a kid? Why does imagination become so much more difficult as we get older? Or does it just become different? Use your creativity and imagination to embark on a project like painting, knitting, writing, woodworking, etc. Whatever gets your creative juices flowing!
J – Journal.
Writing in a journal can be an extremely cathartic experience. Writing forces us to slow down and reflect on our thoughts, helping us both to understand and process them. Gratitude journaling, especially, has been shown to have positive impacts on mental and physical health.
K – Keep a list of your successes and strengths.
Negative self talk is incredibly stressful on our bodies. Keep a running list of all of your successes and strengths to remind yourself of your positive qualities and the good things in your life. Refer back to this list if you notice negative self talk creeping back in.
L – Laugh.
Laughter is the best medicine… or at least ONE of the best! Even the Mayo Clinic recognizes the many benefits of laughter, including stimulating organs, relieving your stress response, soothing tension, boosting immunity, relieving pain, increasing personal satisfaction, and improving your mood.
M – Music.
Listening to your favorite music seems like it can instantly change your mood – upbeat music can be energizing, acoustic can be relaxing… you choose the “mood” of the music and the music helps enhance that mood! Pair the music with aromatherapy and coloring or a bath for a well-rounded self care experience.
N – Nature.
God’s earth is majestic. Spending time in nature to take in everything that He created can remind us that life is bigger than our to-do list. Plus, Vitamin D plays a major role in immune system support and fresh air is great for the body. Win-win-win!
O – “One Thing”
If your day is super busy and your to-do list seems unending, choose ONE thing to focus on for the next 15-3o minutes. Set a timer to tell you when time is up. Sometimes just knowing that we will be alerted about when it’s time to move on allows us to free up that bit of mental space to focus on the task at hand, which can help manage both time and stress.
P – Pray!
Spend time with God. Cast your fears and worries on Him. Find peace in the stillness of the Lord.
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you;my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. “
Q – Quiet time
Sometimes life is so hectic and filled with so much noise that we are simply overstimulated. Taking even a few minutes to separate yourself from the crowd and retreat into a silent space can help calm your system.
R – Read
Are you the type of person who can get hooked on a good book? Check out one of your favorite reads and allow yourself to lose time in the pages. If you’re concerned by your busy schedule, set a timer so you know when you need to move on to your next task.
S – Sleep
Have you noticed a difference in how quick you are to feel angry, overwhelmed, or irritated based on how much sleep you’ve gotten? It’s common to have a shortened fuse if you’re not getting enough rest. Maybe sneak in a nap or make sure to set a reminder to go to bed on-time to get the Zzzzs your body needs to function at its best.
T – Take 5
If you’re rushing around from place to place, knocking out errands… Take 5 minutes to pause. Notice 5 things that you can see, 4 things that you can hear, 3 things that you can feel, 2 things that you can smell, and then tell yourself one word that you want to reflect the rest of your day.
U – Unplug
In a world of electronics that always seem to be notifying us of something, we sometimes need a break from all the alerts and noise. Turn off the phone, turn off the TV, shut down the computer.
V – Vegetables
Yes, taking care of yourself includes feeding yourself nutritious food that supports your mind and body. Load up on your favorite vegetables, aiming to “eat the rainbow” of veggies each day.
W – Walk
If you’re in a location that allows it, grab your walking shoes and hit the trails (or sidewalks). Walking outside gives you a great opportunity to clear your head while getting your blood and lymph moving.
X – X-nay the negative talk.
We are all likely guilty of negative self-talk at times. Whether we tell ourselves we are stupid for making a bad decision or mistake, or critique our bodies or other attributes, negative self talk is common. When you notice this happening, tell yourself “stop” and replace it with one positive thing to replace that thought. For example, if you are telling yourself “I’m so mad at myself for burning the veggies” say, “Stop. I’m proud of myself for the effort I put forth in feeding myself and my family a healthy dinner.” If you’r critiquing the size of your legs, instead take a minute to tell yourself how grateful you are for your legs and their ability to take you from one place to another.
Y – Yodel!
Just kidding. We wanted to make sure you were still paying attention. Y stands for “You do you.” Be at peace with yourself, doing whatever it is that brings you joy.
Z – Zero distractions.
When was the last time that you were in total peace? Seek out a place that has no electronics, no other people, no external noises (or cover any minimal noise with some gentle music, but make sure to turn off any other notifications if you’re playing it from a cell phone.) Allow yourself to be undisturbed for a set period of time. If you find that you have too many thoughts coming to mind, jot it down so you can focus on in later.
Always remember: self care is not selfish. Taking time to treat your body and mind well is a pivotal part of good health!
