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Self-care is not selfish.
This is the single most important thing you will hear all day, and it is more relevant in your life now than ever.
You’ve been burning the candle at both ends for months now. Too many places to be, too little time to focus, too many people relying on you to follow through.
I often experience the mental strain and overwhelmed that comes from spreading yourself too thin. When I feel this way, I realize I am not prioritizing my mental health. The best way to combat this feeling of mental strain is to recharge yourself by using these easy micro-habits.
Always remember that “self-care is not selfish” and that by prioritizing your mental health, you will be more focused and productive in the long-term.
How Do We Recharge When We Are feeling Stressed?
1. Always Focus On The Good. I Promise It’s There.
It is so easy to let ourselves get wrapped up in a negative mindset, a feedback loop of complaining and pessimism… But it is understandable to be pessimistic, after all… Ilife can suck sometimes.
But also, life is like… Really amazing and we are so lucky to be alive.
I’m being serious, we are literally lucky to be alive. The mere fact that we are alive is statistically significant, with the odds of you being born at 1 in 400 trillion.
The odds were 1 in 400 trillion, and you beat that. You are literally amazing, solely for existing.
Life can throw some pretty tough curveballs at us, but that doesn’t have to be a reason to give up. It also doesn’t give us an excuse to only focus on the negatives. It is important for us to instead reframe these negative experiences and think of them instead as opportunities to learn and grow.
“When I look back on the suffering in my life, this may sound really strange, but I see it now as a gift.” ~ Ram Dass
By viewing life through this filter and reframing negative experiences this way, you will be able to reduce mental strain and increase clarity. Simply by adopting a different attitude and mentally reframing your hardships, you will begin to recharge, grow, and find ways to evolve while avoiding going through similar discomfort again.
Pro tip: A good way to reframe negative experiences is by writing a gratitude journal, where you write down multiple things that you are grateful for each day. This will help you change your focus from the bad parts of the situation, to the silver linings that came out of it.
2. Do Something You Love. Reading Or Drawing, Playing Or Dreaming…
I am a firm believer that when we make time to do the things that we love, we are in such a better state of mind, happier and more fulfilled. Whatever it is for you, whether it’s reading, drawing, playing, or dreaming make sure you prioritize it every day.
Too often we skip out on the things that we love because we feel there are “more important tasks” for us to do. But we forget that if we don’t make time for the things that make us happy, we will begin to burnout and lose motivation.
By allowing ourselves to do the things we love, we are reconnecting with our “why” and our main source of inspiration. Without our inspiration, how will we continue to stay inspired?
That is why it is crucial to always make time for the things you love. What helps me do is to make periodic calendar appointments for these activities, it is always a good idea to set aside time for the things that are they are important to you.
3. Go Outside For An Instant Recharge.
Nature has an intuitive appeal to it. I love listening to the rustling sounds of tree branches while feeling the warm rays of sunshine on my skin. This natural appeal is backed by science, with research showing that time spent in nature is beneficial to your health, based on a study done at the University of East Anglia.
The study showed that time outside is beneficial for our mental state and clarity, which is something that I have noticed for myself. Recently I have been experimenting with spending a few minutes outside (in the sunshine) after class or work, and I have come to really enjoy the afternoon recharge.
Being outside provides multiple other benefits too like vitamin D, fresh air, the opportunity to talk to neighbors, and a peaceful moment to reflect and decompress.
Do yourself and your mental health a favor and spend some time outside today, it will can provide you with a much needed recharge!
4. Love Who You Are Now – The Past Is Over, Let It Go
Self-love is hard, especially when there’s so much baggage from the past that you regret. We think about scenarios of what could’ve been, just filling us with anxiety and holding us hostage to the past.
“Let go of the past, but keep the lessons it taught you.” – Chiara Gizzi
We must do our best to move forward with our lives and leave the past behind, not letting baggage get in the way of your self-worth. Always remember what a unique and AMAZING individual you are.
Self-love means that you are worthy of being loved the way you are RIGHT NOW, regardless of anything you do or don’t do.
You deserve love for merely being you.
The important thing to remember is that the past is over. No matter what happened, good or bad, it is important to keep moving forward. Progress is what we all crave, the feeling that we are moving forward in life and on things that matter to us.
By continuing to learn and grow, we can move on from the past, while still learning from the experiences, and learning to love ourselves in the process.
5. Keep Being Brave – When It Feels Hard Remember That The Clouds Will Part And The Sun Will Come
Life can feel overwhelming at times, like the invisible walls of responsibility are closing in. It is important to bring ourselves back to reality when we are feeling this way, and remind ourselves that this feeling wont last forever.
In fact, nothing lasts forever.
When we are struggling through life’s hardships we MUST continue to stay strong and persevere. Imagine that you could look at the situation from a birds-eye view, what would you see? You would realize how small everything is, and that all things come to an end eventually.
“Someday you won’t remember this pain you thought would last forever and ever.” – Taylor Swift
By staying brave and persevering through the hard times, you will be stronger and will have new skills and stories to show from the experience.
Remember, a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
Recharge Yourself As An Investment Into Your Overall Wellbeing
By using these 5 tips every day you can work to create a healthy mindset that is resilient mental fatigue and unnecessary stress. Remember that self-care is not selfish and that by taking the time to make these small changes, you will greatly improve your overall wellbeing.
Redesign Your Lifestyle Without Disrupting Your Life
Now that you know the 5 easy tips to recharge when you are feeling stressed, you can begin incorporating them into your life to create a more positive mindset that is resilient to any hardship life may throw your way. By using these simple tips you will be positively impacting your daily lifestyle, without disrupting your life.
Thanks for reading and remember, SELF CARE IS NOT SELFISH 🙂
