6 Ways to Practice Self Care

How do you practice self care within your life — filled with relationships, friends, kids, family, work, business and all that goes with it??

Taking care of yourself should be a priority at every stage of your life. Creating a self care practice can help your relationships, your mental health, physical health and your overall success!!

Let’s look at some ways to practice self-care even when you’re a super busy person with people pulling you in lots of directions.

Be Happy

Be happy sounds simple, but we know it is challenging, AND it is a choice that we each make. Part of it is your mindset. Having a positive outlook and focusing on the good things. Part of my daily practice is about creating happiness. Create your daily practice list, take a look at mine and improve it for yourself!!

Take time for yourself. Do the stuff which puts a smile on your face.

Find a Friend

Maintaining friendships is crucial to self-care. Take a little time away from your job, your family, your kids to spend time in old friendships. Catch a movie, go out to lunch, or just have a long conversation. Having diverse friendships is incredibly important to your mental health. If you are feeling like you don’t have friends, then find them. Join a hiking group or hobby group — find groups that interest you at MeetUp.com or on Facebook. There are groups everywhere these days and they can be a great place to connect with new friends. It makes it easier to connect with like-minded people.

Protect Your Interests

You don’t have to agree to everything. Setting boundaries within your life is one of the most important aspects of self-care. There might be activities you have no wish to take part in. Or it might be you need some YOU time. whatever the case, remember it’s always OK to say no.

Enjoy a Hobby

What do you like to do in your downtime? For the sake of your mental health, don’t neglect your hobbies. It’s good to create or spend time in things which give you pleasure. Consider setting some hobby time aside as part of your schedule.

Find a new hobby, reconnect with an old hobby!! Whether it’s crafting or hiking or journaling or watercolor or knitting or…. the possibilities are incredible. Find one thing that gives you joy!

Finding a hobby you love can be a great way to practice self care.

Practice Self Care by Making Goals Inspire You

What’s something you want to do? There’s nothing wrong with having goals even when you’re part of a couple or have kids or other responsibilities. Share your dreams with people! When you share your dreams, people help to you to make them happen. Check out my book: Launching Your Dreams and learn more about how I biked across the country, because I shared my dream.

Give other people a chance to share theirs with you. It’s exciting to hear what others envision. Together, work to achieve them.

Express What You Like…and What You Don’t

In relationships and families, we all do some things that we don’t like. But, don’t abandon yourself to DO everyone else’s THING!! You can discover new things that you do like when you help others to achieve their goals. Some you’ll like, some you won’t. When you express honestly how you feel you are practicing self-care by accepting your emotions without apology.

All of these things are important to your mental and emotional health. The key here is to recognize your needs and the needs of others in your life. Together, make a practice of taking care of yourselves.