After helping countless clients develop self-care that helps them decrease stress and anxiety, this blog post will provide you with some ways to begin your own self-care journey. By the end of this post, you will have what you need to start caring for yourself in a way that will increase joy and decrease discontentment.

So let's face it, in this day and age there is just no time to do all the things. You’re a mom, wife, , colleague, chauffeur, perhaps a business owner and teammate.  You work full time and manage a household. There is little time for self care but there are some simple ways you can begin to incorporate more into your life, without having to change much about your routine. Below I’ve listed 5 self-care tips for becoming a healthier you. 

1.  Exercise. Go for a walk/jog/run on your lunch break. Go to the gym while your kid’s at dance. Do some squats while you cook dinner. Download a program you can do from home. Or come up with your own routine. Exercise has been shown to decrease anxiety and depression. 

2. Go outside. Sunshine has been scientifically proven to benefit us. And even when the sun isn’t shining, getting outside for some deep breathing in fresh air, can be just what your soul needs.

    

3. Spending time alone. Even if your traditionally extroverted, it’s always good to be alone with yourself. You can practice deep breathing, journal, or listen to a podcast or read. Even if all you do is sit in silence, being alone can breathe so much life back to you.

4. Get a Hobby.  Find something you enjoy doing. Find something that doesn’t cause you stress. Some like to paint and draw and others may like to go fishing or hiking. Just find something you thoroughly enjoy and do it. Don’t be discouraged if that hobby turns into several that you have to swap out from time to time if one burns you out...that’s okay.

5. SLEEP.  Your brain needs this time to purge itself of all the stuff you put into it. Get at least 8 hours a night and take some cat naps through the day if you’re needing more.  In order to falle sleep easier try to limit the use of electronics for about an hour before bed and DON’T leave the TV on when you sleep! 

6. Yes, there were only supposed to be 5, but what kind of blog post would this be if counseling wasn’t mentioned? Counseling is one of the major ways we can take care of ourself. It is a place we can go to express ourselves freely, learn coping skills, and other ways to take care of ourself.

As you can see there are many benefits to self care and many ways we can take care of ourselves. If you’re wanting to learn more ways of self care or would like to give a counseling a try, SOH is here to help. Click here for more information.