4 Ways To Practice Self-Care In Difficult Times
[guest post] Sometimes, life gets really tough. Whether it's illness, stress from work and school, or money concerns, something always seems to be keeping many people up at night. However, when this happens, you may become so fixated on the issue that you forget to take the time to be kind to yourself. This often leads to self-neglect, depression, and other negative effects that cause more harm. That being said, self-care is essential in alleviating your struggle and preventing the adverse effects of not caring for yourself. Here are five effective ways of practicing self-care amid difficult times.
- Keep a journal
Journaling is a therapeutic process that often goes underlooked and underestimated. According to research and a survey conducted by Habitbetter, only 8% of Americans keep journals! During difficult times, journaling can help mitigate or reduce anxiety and depression, improve self-awareness, and encourage the journey of self-discovery. Therefore, it is a habit you should definitely include in your routine. You can consider keeping two kinds of journals: expressive and gratitude. Expressive journals focus on voicing your feelings, thoughts, and emotions on a particular issue or event. Gratitude journals focus on capturing events you are appreciative of.
- Do something nice for yourself
When life gets tougher, it's easy to get consumed by all the chaos and forget to make time for yourself. Sometimes, you may feel guilty about indulging in the seemingly "selfish" act of thinking about yourself. However, it is vital to do so when you're going through challenging times. If you’ve been neglecting yourself for so long, you need to think about the things that give you fuel and fire. Sometimes we cater to everyone else that we neglect our needs, so whatever you believe is necessary, spend time feeling that you are being productive for you. This could involve looking for a new career, perhaps perusing LinkedIn’s pages on specific companies like the Evolve Bank & Trust might give you some forward momentum. But there is also the benefit of being proactive and not just looking for a new job, but rediscovering who you are through your passions. If you were always creative, but you had to put a stop to it for life reasons, there is a whole world of opportunity out there. Careers like being a music video producer, artist, or writer are all great ways to make you feel like you’re doing something that propels you and get paid at the same time. But also, if you feel like this is too much real work, bring it back to basics. Take a long warm bath with a book with a glass of wine, binge-watch your favorite show with your favorite snacks, or go out with friends. If you're overcoming the loss of a loved one, doing something nice for yourself may be commemorating their memory or finding ways of keeping them close. In that case, you can consider purchasing a beautiful urn from Memorials.com or creating a piece of bespoke jewelry you can remember them by.
- Take breaks
You may think keeping yourself occupied should help you deal with difficult times, but that's far from the truth. Taking a break to relax and breathe could go a long way to helping you handle and overcome the challenge at hand. So, take a few minutes daily to walk around or sit under the sun with a book. Taking on breathing exercises is also an excellent way of taking a break, as it helps you meditate, refocus, improve your emotions, and reduce stress. You can also plan trips to explore new areas, unwind, and refocus.
- Connect with your community
It is easy to isolate yourself when you are going through a tough time. However, this is often a dangerous choice to make. During a challenging time, connecting with others, or your community, gives you a sense of belonging and security, improves your mental and physical health, and gives you access to emotional support. This helps you feel good about yourself and gives you the hope to fight on! Therefore, consider contacting your loved ones via phone, text, or video. You can also consider joining community programs such as charity drives.
