Small Self-Care Tips

We all need to practice self-care. No surprise there. Sometimes we’re great at it and it makes us feel so very good. Other times we forget it and only realize it when it affects our mood. And let me tell you, that’s not a good feeling.

When we practice self-care, we’re happier, have more energy and sleep better. At least I know I do.

Practicing self-care doesn’t have to be difficult or take up too much time, either. Which is great for those with super-busy schedules.

Here are my favorite, small and not too time-consuming, self-care tips:

• Take a few deep breaths. Every day. Sometimes many times each day. If you have a hard time remembering doing so, it can be a good idea to get into a rutine each morning when waking up and before going to sleep in the evening. Personally, I like taking a few deep breaths before beginning my workday and right before falling asleep. It’s up to you if you want to invest a few seconds or minutes into this self-care practice. Just remember that some is better than none.

• Get outside. Even if it’s just a walk around the block. I know that we sometimes feel too tired to even step outside, or simply have so much work that it doesn’t seem possible to go outside. But it is. Just being outside a few minutes can have a healthy impact on our minds.

• Remove negativity from social media. This is some basic stuff, people. It took some time for me to truly understand the negative impact of negativity on social media, but now I remove anything and everything that doesn’t go with my happy vibes. You should, too. Your mental health will thank you.

• Splash it up! Obviously, just some water on your face will do. I start each morning with a healthy, ice-cold face-splash. It wakes me up. Sometimes I even take it so far as to full-blown cold showers. It sucks. At least first, but it makes me feel so much better afterwards. Like a mental cleanse. Try it!

• List it. Write down what you want to accomplish during the day. It’s a great way to remember things, especially for those of us with constantly a hundred things on our minds.

• Practice gratitude. I can’t tell you how much this always improve my mood. Start a gratitude journal and write down three things or events every day that you’re grateful for. Not only is it wonderful to remind ourselves of the good things that happen to us, it’s also wonderful to go back and look at as a whole book.

• Laugh. Take time to do what makes you happy, or at the very least – take opportunities to laugh. Laughter is great for us, on so many levels. Laugh at jokes (even semi-bad ones), watch funny videos or read funny articles. Whatever gets you laughing.

What are your ideas for small-scale self-care? Share in the comments, I’d love to hear!

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