There are times in my life when I realize that the old cheesy cliches you hear every now and then are actually true. One that has become clear to me is the importance of prioritizing self-care. Prioritizing self-care is difficult with the recent pandemic and its consequences stressing everyone out. As a result, it seems appropriate to focus on how we can prioritize self-care better in preparation for the ongoing consequences, and why not? We shouldn't have to justify ourselves.
1. Set boundaries with family and coworkers.
Setting boundaries with coworkers is critical to your professional success. Maintaining relationships at work requires you to keep your personal business private. Never allow your friendships to become one-sided, or you may be exploited.
2. Take a walk or go on a run and be in nature.
It has been discovered that interacting with the natural environment improves executive function when performing cognitive tasks. Spending time in nature, in particular, has been shown to improve our ability to concentrate. Researchers also discovered that natural environments outperformed artificial nature and green spaces in cities. The conclusion was that noise and air pollution, advertising billboards, population density, congested traffic, and other urban environment elements overload cognitive function.
3. Say no to things you genuinely don’t want to do.
Saying no is one of the best forms of self-care we can engage in. Making time in our schedules to rest and recharge, and engaging in activities that are relevant to our current goals, establishing boundaries with loved ones and coworkers According to Anhalt, saying no ultimately gives us more control over our lives. This allows us to create a fulfilling, meaningful life on our own terms. After all, we can only have power over ourselves, so let us use it.
4. Focus on what you can control.
Many aspects of our lives are beyond our control, for better or worse. However, if you focus all of your attention on what you can't control instead of what you can, you'll likely feel even more stressed out - as if you have no control over your own life. This, however, is not the case. Believe it or not, you have a lot of power over some very important aspects of your life. You can change your mindset for the better by focusing on what you can control, resulting in a more positive outlook on life and a can-do attitude.
5. Don't believe in perfection.
Being perfect is impossible. However, you can aim for precision. Determine what is adequate. Experiment with the 80-20 rule. When you believe a project is 80% complete, it may be considered completed by us high achievers. This may not be applicable for critical tasks. However, for smaller tasks, such as cleaning, this is a good rule of thumb. Regardless, don't beat yourself up if you fall short at times or receive constructive criticism. We're all developing and learning.
6. Be conscious of how you speak to yourself.
We are all capable of having negative thoughts. The good news is that you have the ability to control your thoughts. If you find yourself thinking "I can't do this," "I'm not good enough," or something similar, stop and replace the thought with a fact you know is true. For example, if you are about to embark on a large project, instead of thinking to yourself, "This is too much for me to handle... "I'm not going to finish it on time," remind yourself of all the times you did finish projects on time. And tell yourself, "I've demonstrated my ability to meet deadlines." So I'll do it again this time!"
CONCLUSION
You can begin your self-care journey by taking some time alone to consider what gives you energy. If you're interested, look into your personality type characteristics! Consider when you were the calmest and/or most energized in your life. Consider what you truly require right now.
Self-care may be an outlet for some people to express their feelings or emotions. It could be social time or time alone. Self-care can involve turning your attention inward (reflecting on your feelings) or outward.