Self care is one of the most important concepts of emotional wellness. It is easy to get stuck in the vicious cycle of stress- you know the kind, when we're stressed out about being stressed out. What an enigma! Once you're in the cycle, it is easy to stay stuck.
The most common form of stress revolves around time. One excuse I hear a lot as a therapist, is, “I don’t have the time to take care of myself.” This is a misconception of productivity. If you are running a race and become injured, you will probably finish the race faster if you spend the extra time to tend to your wound before continuing, rather than continuing the race while injured- sometimes we have to slow down if we want to speed up.
Below are a few tips to help you recover and regain enough energy to continue on with your busy day!
1. Take a bath
There is something healing about being submerged in water. Take the 10 minutes at the end of a hard and long day to just sit and soak.
2. Drink a favorite refreshing drink
Maybe you mind went straight to a margarita or a glass of wine? Well, that was not exactly what I was talking about. If you know you are going to have a stressful day at work, put some cucumber or lemon in your water and when you take a sip, imagine just for a second, that you are at a spa instead. Or, if you are more of a tea or coffee drinker, spend the extra 2$ to get a little something for yourself.
3. Sit Outside
There is benefit in just sitting outside, even for two minutes. Escape your work, just for 120 seconds, and then you'll feel more refreshed to continue with your workday.
4. Be Present
A wonderful present to yourself is the awareness of your presence. This might not be something you are used to. More often than not, we are focused on a task or something that is about to happen. Stop what you are doing, take a deep breath, and simply notice what it is you are feeling. Maybe you are feeling hot, or maybe cold cold. Maybe you are feeling annoyed or frustrated. Stop for just a moment, assess how you feel either physically or emotionally, then move forward.
5. Draw
Drawing is an activity that promotes mindfulness, yet most adults feel intimidated with a pencil and drawing pad in hand. Maybe you do not know what to draw. Maybe you are terrible at drawing. The point of drawing as a form of relaxation is to focus on the process, rather than the outcome; thus your intention should be less consumed by how it looks and more aware of how the process makes you feel. The point is to draw whatever you are feeling in the moment to escape stress and relax.
6. Write
Dear diary, today my therapist told me to write in a journal and I thought to myself, “I am not a child.” Well, again, this may seem like a childish thing to do, but the research shows that journaling just 10 minutes a day can help with many stressors.
7. Take pictures
You do not need a professional camera to take pictures. Many people are now becoming iPhone-ographers. Try taking one picture a week that inspires you. And as a bonus, on a rough day, you can look back at that picture for encouragement and strength.
8. People-watch
One of my favorite things to do is to go to a public place and people-watch while drinking a cup of coffee. Often times, I come up with stories about the people, or create conversations that I see people having. It is great for the imagination, and great for extroverts who want to be introverts.
9. Paint
This is an activity that again taps into creativity and imagination, which is a part of the brain that often gets neglected. Like drawing, the focus should be more on the process of painting, rather than the final result.
10. Read
Reading is a great way to escape your world and enter the world of another. This does not have to be a book. It is very helpful to read a blog or forum post related to anxiety or something you are experiencing. Magazines are also full of great articles that can take your mind off of your stressors.
11. Shop
Therapeutic shopping can be very cathartic, but it can be hard for those with low financial assets. Shopping for yourself does not mean going on a shopping spree and buying $300 worth of clothes, although that may be nice. You can just window shop, or buy yourself something small like a necklace or a favorite treat.
12. Watch TV
Tv can the the black hole of time, but it can also be great for temporarily escaping and decompressing. Finding a TV show or watching a movie to escape what is going on in your life can be rejuvenating. It may be helpful to watch something that you know has a similar storyline as to what you are experiencing in order to feel less alone. For instance, watching the movie The Break Up, with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, while going through a breakup of your own may help normalize your experiences. It may be even better to watch something uplifting, such as Friends or Big Bang Theory.
13. Go to a movie
Going to see a movie is an experience. Unfortunately, it does cost money, but it is something that can be beneficial for extroverts who enjoy being around people, but are not in the mood to interact with people.
14. Cook/Bake
Cooking is a great way to de-stress, if you enjoy it. Cooking and baking requires a person to be mindful of the ingredients in the recipe, stirring the mix, or even chopping the engredients. Plus, you get to enjoy a meal after.
15. Yoga
Yoga can be done in a studio with a class, or at home. If you'd rather be on your own, there are plenty of youtube videos and yoga apps to guide you through this relaxation process. Stretching is important for your body and mind connection.
16. Be with a friend
As you get older, making time for friends becomes less of a priority. If this is something that you feel like is beneficial for you, find a friend who you have a great connection with and who also is willing to carve time out for you. Make sure you find someone who agrees that making time, even just a quick coffee, is a priority.
17. Meditate
Often times, when I talk to clients, they hesitate when I bring up meditation. Many people do not know how to meditate, or think that there is a right or wrong way to meditate. The truth is that meditating can be as simple as being mindful.
18. Be with the person you love
Again, once families start developing and children come into the picture, it can be hard to spend quality time with a partner. If going out on a date once a week is too hard, then try every other week or once a month. The goal is for it to be relaxing and not stressful to accomplish. You can also try a stay at home date, if you think you can pull it off. Or, the person you love may be your child. After working all day and going through the motions of preparing dinner and getting your child ready for bed, you may find that you have not actually spent quality time with your child. If you can relate to this, carve out a specific time of the day or week where you can spend quality on-on-one time with your loved one.
19. Craft
Grafting and projects are great! You are doing a task that requires concentration and at the end of it you have an end product. It can be nice to do this for gifts to others.
20. Coloring Books
Coloring books are a fun, new type of mindfulness meditation. Coloring is a great way to focus on a task, and take your mind off your problems and stressors. Try using colors that match the way you are feeling, such as yellows for feeling joyful and reds for anger.
Remember these tasks do not have to take take up much time. Give yourself 5 to 10 minutes a day as a present to yourself. It is hard to be productive and cross things off a to-do list if you are not feeling well. Sometimes you have to slow down in order to be productive. When you are running a marathon, you have to pace yourself. We hope you enjoy these ideas to help yourself slow down and rejuvenate.