“Why am I always so happy? Because I choose myself, every single day.”—xoJR
Self-Care is Self-Love
People avoid self-care for many reasons—one in particular reason is to avoid a truth. You can escape people & situations but you cannot escape yourself. There will always be something to remind you of what you’ve been avoiding & why you deserve to give yourself the best version of you. Don’t feel bad for putting yourself first, especially when it comes to self-care. How else do you expect to help others & move forward?
PRIORITIZE
Whether you need to set a reminder, write down a list or post stickies around your home/office, to prioritize yourself, do it! Many of us need reminders to tend to the simpler things in life: eating, drinking, showering, cleaning, grooming & plenty more. Before you know it, a habit will develop & you’ll be doing more for yourself before you know it. Another way of prioritizing yourself is to avoid gossip, if a topic isn’t helping you or another person grow, how are you benefiting from it?
REFLECT
We get so consumed with our daily schedules & tending to others, we forget to take a moment to reflect. I do most of my reflecting when I meal-prep & run. When I reflect, I think about recent moments my energy shifted then I think about how I reacted/responded. I also reflect about how productive (or unproductive) I’ve been to accomplish my weekly goals—every time I realize how important it is for me to create schedules; otherwise, I will get lost in one task for an entire day. I also take time to think about how much time I’ve put towards myself, I’m a giver but I always make sure to never forget myself.
STRETCH
If you don’t do anything else active, at leassttttt stretch before & after bed. We cause stress on our bodies throughout the day by the way we lean to check our phones & computers. By stretching, you’ll began to decrease your risk of injuries, loosen tension (which helps relieve stress) & increase flexibility. Don’t think you have to stretch for hours, just take about 10 minutes before you end & start your day. Trust me, you’ll feel a difference, think about how great it feels when you stretch in bed!
COMMUNICATE
Expressing yourself will help you release & peacefully move forward. There are many ways to communicate & not everyone will understand your method if you keep your feelings inside. If you have an issue with someone, don’t hold a grudge—present the issue & try to solve it. Even if it isn’t solved, take the time to come to a common ground. Most importantly, you should communicate with yourself so you can accept any shortcomings that may have had more of an impact on you mentally than you expected. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that life is shorter than short, so don’t take time for granted.