5 Essential Daily Self-Care Habits That You Can Start From Today- How To Start Taking Better Care of Yourself

We take care of everyone, but not us! In today’s stress, self-care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. It is very important to include healthy self-care habits into your daily routine. In this post, I’m going to tell you, how to start taking better care of yourself.

When life gets really “heavy” on you, just slow your rhythm and start paying attention to your much needed areas in life. Pay attention to your every day small requirements. These are no big sacrifices like; going to a spa or salon, or often going out with friends, but very basic care activities that we often overlook!

“Today I promise, I will just take care of the “me” self. I will listen to my every needs and demands that require attention-on a daily basis. I will take that first step today, towards making myself better in every way possible.”

When was the last time you recall making such “power promises” to yourself?
The “best thing” I did for myself- lately!
I made a conscious choice! I slowed down and tried to understand what was going on with me. It’s hard to slow down when you are trying to do zillion of things. But learning about my basic needs helped me to understand how often we ignore those signs of taking good care of our body, mind, and spirit. The time is now, that you must start taking good care of yourself.

 So here’s a list of 5 basic self-care habits that you can start with and create a stronger foundation routine for your “better” being:

1. Sleep

The most essential habit for leading a healthy and stress free life, is by “getting enough sleep.” We often compromise on this to make sure we are “perfectly” doing everything, we are supposed to do. But sleep deprivation is the most common cause of many illness. A peaceful goodnight sleep can take away half of your worries, by giving you a clear mind, a healthy heart, and lots of “positive energy” to deal with your every day challenges. 

How to start: Next time when you start feeling restless and impatient in dealing with even small matters, slow down and listen to the hint of your body and mind. They are asking you to leave everything and get plenty of rest. Let’s call it a “power rest.” Go get recharged and create a good 8 hours of sleep routine for a week- to begin with!

2. Play

There’s no better way to recharge than engaging yourself in some physical activities. Make time for some fun and relaxation with your friends, family and kids every day. Choose to play your favorite sport or any other kind of game that can help you de-stress!

Playing has always proven to be the best way to keep you heart and mind healthy and happy. It is one of my most favorite self-care essential habits of all.

How to start: Include your family. Your kids are your “best” partners. Find ways to indulge in some physical activities or in any board games, puzzles, or in any indoor or outdoor fun time with them each day. Make a daily routine to have more fun while giving your body a good muscle stretch.  

3. Meditate 

As life is a busy deal, we must have some “quiet ” time for ourselves every day. Our brain can get really tired with the noise around us, so give yourself some silent moments: sit quietly with your eyes and ears closed at least for few minutes every single day. If you can, then go for meditation and some breathing exercises that you think you can do to feel more relaxed and centered.

“Silence is a source of great strength.” ~Lao Tzu

How to start: Try to spend some time outside everyday in nature. And if the weather is not favorable, try practicing some “silent time” inside. Find a good place to feel that silence around you and try to feel your body and soul (try to connect with your inner self totally). Feel each of your senses and free your mind of any kind of thoughts and clutters.

A chaos-free mind is the best gift you will give yourself. Meditation helps me release all kinds of fears and doubts, and allows me to be in the moment, without any other thought. Try to build this amazing habit of self-care, and you will thank me later.

4. Smile
“A smile a day is such a good way to stay away from all persistent worries and to think clearly! ” Practice laughing, giggling or just smiling every day. Find reasons (people or activities) that can bring a smile on your face, at least once in a day. You can instantly feel that peace and relief, when you smile. Try it!

How to start: If you’re really finding it hard to smile amidst all the changes and challenges, try watching some funny videos- to start with, and continue for a week to make it a self-care habit.

5. Relax 
We often end up doing more than we can, and the result is: frustration and health problems. Over doing may be rewarding at times, but personally the results can be dissatisfying and stress. Try not to overstrain, and learn to say “no”. Let go certain things, that you feel you cannot do at-the-same-time. Practice taking small breaks before you jump over to any kind of physical or mental activities.  Give some rest to your mind, body and soul once in a day.

How to start: Try taking small breaks in between while doing all the household chores. Sit or take a quick nap before you feel the urge of doing the next work on your to-do-list. Relax; by watching television, or going for a small walk, or even by reading few pages from your favorite book.

Self-care may sound like a big task to do, but if you really wish to take care of everyone in your life, you must first practice taking care of your essential basic needs. Start by creating a routine for a week and then continue for a month, to make it your lifestyle.

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