Winter blues weighing on you? Practice some self-care. Not enough time, you say? You’d be surprised how just carving out a few small pockets of time in your schedule can help your outlook.
Self care is not self-indulgence: It’s attending to not only your physical, but emotional health. Yes, connect with others, but also reconnect with yourself. If there’s ever a time to bask in self-love and care, it’s now. So tend to yourself both emotionally and physically without guilt.
You can start by paying attention to the little things you find yourself doing throughout the day. Take stock of your thoughts and how they influence your actions and habits. Which thoughts do you gravitate toward? Are they positive ones? Pause and observe. What is your body–and what are your emotions–trying to tell you? Slowing down into the present moment can help us gain perspective and clarity, even when we least expect it.
Take it day by day.
Adversity is a part of life. Accepting that it “is what it is” can actually bring peace of mind and help us grow into resilience. This is sometimes easier said than done, but it helps take the pressure off ourselves to “fix” it, and focus on what we CAN do right now. One way to do this? By practicing gratitude. Each morning, pay attention to little things that bring you joy, and write them down. Your first sip of coffee? An uplifting podcast? Hugging your dog? Journaling allows you to free-write about whatever comes into your mind, expressing yourself without judgement. And, studies show that gratitude journaling increases happiness.
- What inspires you? You can aim to spend at least 20 minutes a day doing something you love. Just remember to go with the flow here–Work with your energy level and accept that sometimes you may just need to do nothing.
- Follow a routine for yourself. Let it include time for work and accomplishing things, but more importantly, time for self-care. This could include relaxation, connecting with others, or focusing on your interests. This structure will keep you focused and help ease stress
- If your situation allows, consider trying something different. You can learn something new, try that online class, or dive into a hobby that could turn into a new passion. Or, start feeding an old, forgotten passion–Get out that sketch pad, guitar, gardening gloves…you get the idea.
Find ways to move around.
Yes, exercise helps you look your best, but it also improves feelings of well-being, and helps to lessen stress because it burns off the hormone cortisol, which creates the “fight or flight” stress response in us.
-Go outside and walk, jog, or bike. Being in nature relieves stress.
-Try an online exercise or yoga class.
-Try a new workout. Here are some to get you going:
No jumping high intensity workout
Sleep smartly.
Feeling rested can help with stress. Keep in mind that a willy-nilly sleep schedule will defeat the purpose and make it harder for you to deal with your stress; Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day.
Stress-eating? Pause.
You’re aimlessly staring at the pantry, not sure how you got there but convinced you need just one more snack. Sound familiar?
We crave more calories when we’re stressed. Eating snacks to numb anxiety may feel like it helps in the moment, but in the long-term your body and emotional health pay a price. That’s not to say snacks and comfort foods are bad in themselves—They aren’t.
If you feel yourself grabbing the carton of Ben & Jerry’s without thinking about it, pause for a second. Ask yourself why. Did something upsetting trigger that response? If so, think about an alternate response you can plan to do next time you get upset. Studies show that mindful eating habits can help curb excessive weight gain.
Planning ahead with your grocery shopping (which we pretty much have to do right now anyway!) and meals can help you stay on track with your eating. These recipes and snacking tips will help:
Slow cooker Pulled chicken
Sit in silence.
- Try mindfulness exercises. Mindfulness can work wonders for stress, especially if you feel you don’t have anyone to talk to right now. You can practice mindfulness anywhere, whether it’s during a run, a walk in nature or in your living room. It could involve anything from breathing exercises to guided meditation.
Here’s an example of a guided meditation:
- Find a place that’s quiet and peaceful to you and get into a comfortable position. Close your eyes and expand your belly like a balloon as you breathe in. Deflate your belly as you breathe out. Breathe in and out at a comfortable pace. Pretend that you’re breathing in cleansing breaths, and breathing out all of your anxiety.
- As you breathe, bring your attention to your heart. Let your heart feel everything that’s there. Don’t judge yourself for whatever feelings may come up; Just let it all out.
- Put one hand on your heart. Visualize light flowing from your hand into your heart. Imagine that the light is sending love and compassion to you. Keep breathing comfortably, with steady breaths like ocean waves. Compassion in, compassion out. Throw your anxiety into the ocean waves.
- If your mind wanders throughout any of this, that’s okay. Just bring your attention back to the breath. Stay here for at least 10 minutes and allow yourself to feel any emotion that comes up without judging yourself.
Finally, if you’re not yourself these days, cut yourself some slack! Negative feelings may take awhile to navigate out of; Be patient with yourself!
You must be logged in to post a comment.