10 Ways to Take Care of Yourself Better
It’s been a rough year and it’s so easy to let these practices fall to the side, but taking care of ourselves is more important than ever right now. Sometimes we need a gentle nudge in the right direction, so here are some tips on how to take care of yourself better.
1. journal
You can’t take care of yourself if you don’t know what it is that you need. Journaling doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Pick out a notebook that makes you excited and just put pen to paper. If you need some help, check out these journaling prompts.
2. open up
If you’re feeling drained and like you just cannot take care of yourself right now, open up and let a close friend into the struggle. The people in your life want to help you. You don’t have to do this alone. Plus, sometimes you need to say things out loud and in conversation with someone in order to understand your own thoughts better.
3. meditate
Meditation is a wonderful exercise because when you sit quietly and focus on your breathing, you’ll really notice the thoughts that enter your mind, and you also are given the tools to gently redirect your thoughts. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some apps that offer guided meditation.
4. put yourself first
Now that you know what you need, prioritize what you need. Don’t let the needs of others eclipse what is really important for you. It isn’t selfish. If you don’t put yourself first when you need to, you won’t be able to show up and support the other people in your life when they need you.
5. stay active
You don’t have to start cross-fit or sign up for a 5k, but you should make sure you’re staying active in some way every day. Some days that might mean a walk around your neighborhood, maybe you’ll do a workout video on YouTube, or just do some stretches while you’re watching TV. Choose an activity you know you’ll be able to commit to fully in that moment.
6. Honor your boundaries.
Many people don’t even know what their boundaries are until they’ve been crossed. Get clear on your core values and honor those boundaries. If you aren’t honoring your boundaries, you’re not taking care of you, you’re taking care of the person crossing your boundaries. If you need help on how to build better boundaries, check out episode 11 of Self Care IRL here.
7. Unfollow IG accounts that aren’t serving you.
I know those screen time reports are popping up every week and telling on you… you’re spending too much damn time on Instagram! Make sure that time is well-spent on accounts that are feeding your soul and filling you up. The year is 2020 and we are no longer hate-following people or following people who make us hate ourselves!
8. Stop trying to please others.
Are you continuously shaping yourself over and over to fit the version of you that others expect? That shit’s exhausting. I know it’s validating to be liked, but it is simply not worth it. I did a whole podcast episode all about my experience learning how to be okay with the fact that not everybody is going to like me. Listen here.
9. Give yourself a break.
Life is hard and you don’t have to be perfect. Stressing over all the times you’ve fucked up won’t erase the fact that you fucked up. Again: stressing over all the times you’ve fucked up won’t erase the fact that you fucked up. Your energy is better spent elsewhere.
10. establish a routine
Sure, you can have a good day of taking care of yourself, but you’ll only really and truly be taking care of yourself better if you’re establishing regular routines to reinforce the good habits. If you need some ideas, check out these self-care habits you can incorporate into your routine.
How are you learning to take care of yourself better? Share on social media and tag me@tyalexander on Instagram and@lovetyalexander on Twitter.
P.S. If you need more self-care tips, check out these blog posts.
20 Wellness Bloggers You Should Follow
Recipe for the perfect at home spa day
6 Ways To Be Happy When It Gets Dark Early
5 Tips to turn around your bad day
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