When conversations turn to the subject of well-being, the focus often revolves around yoga, eating organic, or the latest juice cleanse. Maybe you’ve tried yoga and you eat organic, and yet you feel like you’re simply adding items to your to-do list instead of finding peace or feeling better.
If you’re feeling even more burned out after trying out each of the latest health and happiness trends, that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you—you simply might not be looking in the right place. The truth is, “well-being” and “self-care” can mean totally different things to different people. Spend some time thinking about what daily self-care looks like for you. For instance, working in a very “others-focused” social services career might mean that you need some quiet alone time to feel rejuvenated, while working a lonely office job might mean that you’d feel more refreshed after joining a club and meeting new people.
Feelings of disconnect and exhaustion don’t necessarily mean your life must undergo dramatic changes before you can be happy; even the perfect job, a loving partner, and a busy social life can’t bring you peace if you’re not meeting your most basic needs every day.
What all this means is that you don’t need to look beyond yourself to figure out the “right” way to practice daily self-care; all you need to do is listen to what your body and mind are telling you.
So how can you start practicing daily self-care that works for you?
1. Get some sleep
Sleep—like its absence—is a powerful influence when it comes to how you see yourself, others, and the world around you. Waking up fully rested can help clear your vision when it comes to what’s stressful and what’s manageable. Facing an obstacle with little sleep can hang a dark cloud over your whole day. When you’re rested, hurdles can be challenging, rewarding, and even fun.
2. Stop feeling guilty for spending time on yourself
Because your day can sometimes become so jam-packed full of appointments, emails, phone calls, and errands, spending time on yourself might feel like an indulgence. The moments you’ve allotted for yourself are often the first things you sacrifice when you’re feeling overwhelmed. In truth, daily self-care isn’t indulgent, it’s incredibly important—listening to yourself is the best way to stay on the fast-track to feeling good.
3. Declutter
Although your belongings aren’t the best barometers of who you are, the state of your house, office, or car might be a reflection of where you’ve placed your priorities. The atmosphere around you really can affect your outlook on life. Taking a few minutes every day to tend to your personal space might bring with it some much-needed peace and clarity.
4. Unplug
Social media and smart phones are great ways to stay connected to the people you truly care about; however, too much time plugged into the web can distort your focus. Instead of being present in your own life, you might be thinking about where you aren’t, who you’re not with, and what you don’t have compared to others. Carve out chunks of time every day to give your brain a break by stepping away from the screen.
5. Eat well
The people you know who are always talking about eating organic might be onto something—good food really does make you feel better. If you commit to practicing daily self-care by eating your fruits and veggies, you’ll likely find that you have more energy and enthusiasm for life than if you stick to fast but unfulfilling food. Making healthy food you enjoy can also boost your self-esteem.