If you didn’t know this already, September is Self Care Awareness Month. And, I can not stress this enough. Self care is important.
And, okay. I know what you’re thinking. I don’t have time to self care. Some of you reading this are in college and are juggling classes and part time jobs. Others are balancing jobs, kids, and everything else. But, no matter what your situation is, you gotta take care of you. Otherwise, it will catch up to you. Trust me.
So, if you’re one of those people, here’s some tips to help take care of you. Trust me, they are easy.
- Get a day planner
In college, a day planner was my saving grace. I wrote down everything from when I needed to be in work, deadlines, and classes. I also kept track of important dates, which helped me stay organized.
Nowadays, my planner serves a different purpose. I use it now to keep track of articles I need to or want to write, my work schedule for both jobs, events for the commission I serve, and social things. Having it all in front of me really keeps track of everything so I can accomplish it, and balance.
I highly recommend everyone with a busy schedule to get a planner and write everything in there. You don’t need to carry it around, but having a guide to help you through the week is surely helpful.
- Take your lunch break.
So many people often work right through their lunch or cut it short in the efforts to get much more done. I mean I’ve done it too. However, my question is why? First of all, we need to eat. Second of all, we need a break. Even if it’s only a few minutes, it’s all we need to recharge our batteries and give us time just to relax. This helps us avoid burnout.
If you’re one of those people, try my trick to ensure that you do take your break. Either buy food, which prompts you to get out of the office, or do an errand or two while on lunch. That way, you’ll feel more accomplished, and get a minute away.
- Block off a time of the week that is devoted to me time.
Since I still work part-time, I have a few days a week where I have an afternoon off. For instance, I am off every Monday. I used to schedule appointments or hang out with my boyfriend during that time. But, now I just use it as my chance to go home and watch TV (or do whatever). Having that time off is so important, because I am so relaxed afterwards.
At the end of the day, we all need that crucial ‘me’ time. For some, it’s a Saturday night reading. For me, it’s watching crappy reality. Whatever the case may be, be sure you do so. That way, you can truly recharge and just do you.
- Make sure you take care of your health.
This one is pretty easy — go to your doctor’s, put sunscreen on before you go outside, eat veggies, and exercise. By putting your health first and living a healthy lifestyle, you are truly living your best life.
- Be proactive.
I recently decided to get a snack and drink drawer in my office. Additionally, I also put a few extra things that I sometimes forget to bring with me, such as tissues and feminine care products, in there as well.
By being proactive, I can help avoid stress (at least a little bit). Therefore, try to be proactive in any way you can. Trust me. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Be easy on yourself.
It’s hard to do this, but try to avoid being hard on yourself. And, as a perfectionist, I know that it can be challenging sometimes. However, I know that you can do it. I’m working on it too.
There are several ways we can do this. One way is to focus on all that you have done, not on the things that you have. I know we have mountains of to-do lists on our plates. But, it’s not worth kicking ourselves for the things that we didn’t do.
Furthermore, another way we can do this is try to be nice on ourselves when something goes wrong. For instance, if you didn’t do so great on an exam, instead of beating yourself up for it, just remind yourself that you did the best you can. Same goes when final grades come out.
The more that we remind ourselves that we are awesome, the less that we focus on the negative. Chances are, you’ll feel a whole lot better about whatever if you approach anything in life with that mindset.
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