Practical Ways to Practice Self-Care

Hello Powerful Women,

How are you doing? Taking care of yourself? With everything currently going on in the world, it is easy to spiral out of control. While it may seem impossible to fit self-love and care into a busy schedule, it is vital to implement self-care techniques into your daily routine.

Do not forget that you are important, and your health comes first and foremost. Building stress, whether it being from career and educational advancement, raising children, or simply a demanding schedule, can cause a strain on your health. We, as women, rarely sit down to talk about stress and the negative impact it can have on our bodies.

Trying to maintain my high grades, as a college student, I struggled finding a balance between my school social life. This personally caused me a lot of stress.

On top of that, as a computer science major, there was increased pressure I put on myself to excel in a male-dominated career. This led me to question the kind of nourishment that is most beneficial to me and my health. Here are some tips that I have practiced in my daily routine to relieve stress and reassess my mind and soul. Self-care is NEVER selfish.

The key to practicing self-care techniques is to start small. Setting an unrealistic target or goal can lead to failure.

Don’t think of self-care as a giant to-do list that needs to be checked off every day, rather as a way to focus on yourself by adding a self-care component to what you already do in your daily routine. Self-care also does not have to be time-consuming, therefore use the margins of your time to integrate self-care practices. When starting small it will be easier to commit to positive habits, practices, and rituals. When incorporating self-care, I find it easier to split it into a few categories.

Self-Care For Your Mind

They say you are what you think. What you fill your mind with on a daily basis can have a great impact on your well-being, whether it being negative or positive. Think about it, filling your mind with positive vibes leads to a positive impact and vice versa. Makes sense, doesn’t it? But it’s also not as easy as it may seem.

We understand that everything is not going to be sunshine and rainbows all of the time. That is why it is important to practice methods of self-improvement and self-acceptance. Never tell yourself that you are not capable of doing something; we limit only what we allow ourselves to be limited by. Personally, I prefer to integrate affirmations into my morning routine. You can repeat affirmations to yourself to engage positive energy.

Affirmations That Will Change the Way You Think

“I possess the qualities needed to be extremely successful”

“My ability to conquer challenges is limitless”

“My potential to succeed is infinite”

“My life is plentiful with prosperity.”

“Today, I abandon my old habits and take up new, more positive ones.”

“I acknowledge my self-worth; my confidence is soaring.”

“I am love. I am purpose. I was made with divine intention.”

“I am in charge of how I feel, and today I am choosing happiness.”

Self-Care For Your Body

Physical self-care is needed for your body to function properly and efficiently. When your body is talking to you, you need to listen to it. If it is telling you to get more sleep at night, plan to go to bed earlier.

Decide if what you’re fueling your body with is beneficial or detrimental to your health and well-being. If the answer leans towards more detrimental, then construct a diet plan that incorporates more vegetables and fruits and less processed and fast foods.

Ways to Nourish Your Body

Incorporate exercise/movement into your daily routine. If you have a tight schedule that provides no time for the gym, search workout routines on YouTube and follow along at home in your free time.

After waking up in the morning, spend a couple minutes stretching or trying yoga to refresh before your shower.

Take 5 minutes in the morning to focus on your breathing. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique which aims to reduce anxiety and promote sleep. Breathe in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, then exhale forcefully through the mouth (make a “whoosh” sound) for 8 seconds. Repeat 4 times.

Drink more water. If you are not drinking 8 glasses of water a day, then just try to drink more than what you are already drinking. I like to put strawberries, lemon, lime, and apples in my water for taste and it also acts as a detox.

Meal prep. You are more inclined to eat healthier when your dinner is already prepared and portioned. Incorporate some protein and vegetables.

Self-Care For Your Soul

When discussing physical and body care, you cannot forget self-care that nourishes your soul. This part is frequently overlooked because it is not as obvious as feeling a physical ailment. I find that self-care practices for the soul are less time-consuming and the easiest to incorporate in my daily routine.

Ways to Nourish Your Soul

Meditate during your morning shower.

Do not involve yourself in drama and gossip, as it can heighten anxiety and lead to a negative mindset.

Release what you can’t control. Sometimes we must accept things the way they are and allocate space for something positive.

If you are religious, thoroughly read a Bible verse every morning and take time to meditate.

Be kind to yourself. Speak words of encouragement and love to yourself. Try using a diffuser while doing this to make sure you are fully relaxed.

Have a Safe Quarantine! See You Next Sunday!