Have you ever flown on a plane and heard the flight attendants giving the safety instructions? Have you wondered why, when they\u2019re telling you about the oxygen masks, they tell you to put yours on first before assisting others? The bottom line is, if you are not taking care of yourself first, you will be less equipped to help others. This is why taking care of yourself is so important.<\/p>\n
Many people feel guilty when they think of taking care of themselves; especially when we feel we have many responsibilities in our lives \u2013 to our families, our friends, our job. The truth is, if you\u2019re not taking care of yourself, you\u2019re not going to be able to take care of those other responsibilities for as long or with as much quality as you would be if you were taking care of yourself.<\/p>\n
In addition to being at your healthiest to take care of others, focusing on self-care can help you through challenging times in your life or if you\u2019re suffering from depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, etc.<\/p>\n
In general, taking care of yourself should be a daily practice. As much as possible, you should eat healthy, sleep well, exercise and take time for yourself each day. Self-care is all the more important if you\u2019re going through a difficult time or feeling burnt out.<\/p>\n
Self-care doesn\u2019t need to be anything expensive or extravagant. A good rule of thumb is to just do something that will feel good and replenish you emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. Here is a short list of some easy and economical things you can do to take care of yourself:<\/p>\n
Take a bath
\nRead a book
\nTake a walk
\nCall a friend
\nTake a nap
\nEat a piece of dark chocolate
\nCook or bake something
\nListen to a relaxation CD
\nListen to your favorite music
\nWatch some funny YouTube videos
\nWrite in a journal
\nWrite a gratitude list
\nPick some flowers
\nPray
\nGo to a support group
\nMeditate
\nGo for a nature hike
\nPlan a vacation
\nGarden
\nStart a craft or art project
\nSpend time with pets\/animals<\/p>\n
Can you think of any others?<\/p>\n
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