When Coffee Isn't Enough

By Cole Stark

Is your kitchen sink full of dishes? Laundry piling up? Have you scarfed down some fast food in the car while playing chauffeur for the kids’ activities multiple times this week? When was the last time you actually took a minute to yourself?

In today’s world, with busy schedules, long work days, and responsibilities at home it is easy to fall into a pattern of go, go, go; without every truly giving back to yourself. This article will explore some simple self-care strategies that you can use to refill your tank, making that hectic schedule of yours, just a bit more manageable.

When it comes to self-care, the most important thing is that it is not a onetime deal. Sure it’s nice to take a week vacation to the beach, or that relaxing day at the spa; but how many times in the past have you given yourself these breaks, only to be thrust back into the mix and stressed the day you return to your normal routine. Self-care isn’t necessarily a break FROM life, but it’s a break IN life. Effective self-care is the combination of several small acts you do to take care of yourself, that work together to put your mind, body, and spirit in a more positive and productive place. The following are just a few simple things you can do, starting today to begin to take care of you, a little bit more.

SLEEP!

There may not be a better strategy to help your whole self, than getting adequate sleep. Without the proper amount of sleep, you are starting at a disadvantage. A lack of sleep not only robs your brain of valuable time it needs to repair itself, but also increases the stress hormone cortisol that leads to irritable moods, increased blood pressure, weight gain, among other not so great things. So, above all else, get that sleep. Be purposeful, make a schedule and stick to a night time routine, to help increase those ZZZs.

EAT!

Surprise surprise here. The quality of the fuel you give your body affects performance of your body and mind. Are you giving your body the fuel it needs with a balanced diet? Or are you feeding it junk that spikes blood sugar and creates a pattern of insulin response that drains us of energy and causes us to be hangry? Yes, I said hangry. This doesn’t mean you can’t splurge and have that treat of yours. In fact, splurge and have that treat to reward yourself, but also make sure you are giving your body what it needs first!

ORGANIZE!

Create a to-do list, use a planner, give yourself extra time, plan out your day. Studies have show that people are much more likely to do something once it is written down. Not only does it increase motivation and follow through, but having a plan also reduces stress of trying to remember a day or week’s worth of information from memory alone, reducing felt stress and worry about forgetting something. Also, it’s pretty darn gratifying being able to cross off that thing from the list that has been in the back of your mind.

MINDFULNESS

How long has it been since you really stopped, and took notice of your mind, body, and environment. An amazing thing happens when you give yourself permission to actually disconnect from life for a minute and explore these things. Do you notice the tension in your neck and back? Is your posture poor? Are you thirsty? Is your environment noisy? Are you too hot? Too cold? These all seem like small things, but together they can grow to make us uncomfortable without use really every being aware what is going on. Take a minute and be mindful of yourself and your surroundings, and you might be surprised what you find.

OTHERS

Disconnect from social media for a day. Call a friend. Take a new way to work. Try something new. Ask for help. Do something spontaneous. Do something you’ve been putting off. Try to identify positive things that have happened in your day. Stretch. Try a new restaurant. Break your routine. Do something for someone else.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter WHAT you do to engage in self-care, as long as you are deliberate and consistent with it. We all have our own things that bring us benefit, but these are often pushed to the side by life’s other responsibilities. Self-care doesn’t have to be a major task, but can be something you can fit in to the seconds and minutes that each of us have every day. Be purposeful. Be deliberate. Most of all, be kind to yourself.

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