Self-Care Strategies That Work

Self-care is something that most of us don’t focus on when we are young and healthy.  During our younger years, we have the natural beauty and resilience of youth.  So, we think, “Why spend time and money on taking care of myself?  I look and feel great!” 

But as the years creep along, our bodies become less resilient.  We can’t function on 5 hours of sleep anymore.  We can’t eat what we like without putting on weight.  Even getting up after sitting on the floor takes a surprising amount of effort!  Effectively our bodies start saying to us, “Please take care of me!”

The challenge of self-care is that most of us put ourselves last on our To Do Lists.  Everyone else’s needs come before our own.  I did that for years.  I constantly met the needs of others to the point of exhaustion.  There was no time for me to relax and recharge.  Instead, my time (and my life) was hijacked by the needs of others. 

But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that self-care is incredibly important.  You have to put yourself first.  If you don’t, the consequences are grave.  You can develop health issues.  You may become depressed and frustrated with life.  And once you are on the path of physical or mental illness, it is hard to turn things around.

As a result, self-care simply isn’t something that you can do as an after-thought.  It has to be a part of your every day routine.  Self-care has to be the same as brushing your teeth or emptying your dishwasher.  It has to be automatic.

Below are some strategies to incorporate self-care into your daily or weekly routine.  Make them part of your life and see your health and happiness improve!

Self-Care for Your Body

Here is a tough fact that we don’t like to think about: You get only one body in life.  It body isn’t like a car.  You can’t replace your body when it gets old.  It isn’t like a house.  You can’t sell it and buy a new one if you want something better.  With respect to your body, this is it.  You get only one.

I urge you to think about your one and only body.  It needs to last you from today until the day that you die.  And if you have ever been to a nursing home, you know that how you care for your body ultimately will make a difference in how you spend your golden years.  Some folks spend their lives taking care of their bodies, and their elder years are comfortable.  They move around with ease and feel good.  By contrast, others face old age with aches and pains.  They really suffer.

So today, choose to make caring for your body a top priority.  Now there are all kinds of fancy ways that we can care for our bodies.  We can get regular haircuts, manicures, pedicures, and facials.  And those are all wonderful ways to care for our bodies so that they look their best.  But the two most important ways to care for our bodies are exercise and diet.

Exercise

An important way to care for your body is to give it exercise.  We weren’t meant to be stationary creatures.  Rather, we were created to move around.  Unfortunately, unless you are a farmer, a laborer or a professional athlete, you probably don’t have a naturally active lifestyle.  Instead, you have to incorporate exercise into your life.

There are many ways to do that.  If you don’t have the money or time to exercise at a health club, there still are a myriad of ways to exercise.  For instance, I take a long walk every day with my dog.  I also do a yoga and pilates video every morning (if you click on the link, you’ll see my favorite). 

Everyone has different tastes when it comes to exercise.  In fact, there is no “right” type of exercise.  The only thing that matters with exercise is that you do it consistently – meaning every single day.

Diet

Self-care also involves being careful with what we eat and drink.  Eating is a habit like any other.  As a result, you can develop the habit of only eating good, wholesome food.  For example, over a year ago, our family decided to become pescatarians.  We gave up eating chicken and beef. Now our only sources of protein are fish, dairy and legumes. 

At the time, it seemed like a very drastic change.  But after a week or two, it became a habit.  Today, I wouldn’t think of going back to eating chicken and beef!  I feel better physically, and I have no desire to go back to my old eating habits.

Of course, the pescatarian lifestyle isn’t for everyone.  My only point is that making dietary changes isn’t hard.  Giving up certain foods is easy.  You just have to do it long enough to make it a habit.

Now I certainly won’t opine on what foods you should eat.  There are plenty of terrific websites out there to give you guidance on that.  However, there are some basic rules of thumb for healthy eating. 

• Eat Home Cooked Food: You always are better off eating home cooked food, rather than prepared or restaurant food.  When you prepare your own food, you can cut out the preservatives and limit your salt intake.
• Limit Your Alcohol Consumption:  I no longer drink alcohol.  A couple of years ago, every time I had even a small glass of wine, it gave me a stomach ache.  So, I gave up alcohol completely.  I don’t miss it.  What I’ve realized is that alcohol in no way benefits your body or your life.  It is fattening.  Moreover, if you drink too much you can end up saying and doing stupid things.  Worse yet, it can be addictive.  Better to reduce your consumption of alcohol, or eliminate it altogether from your life.
• Eat Sugary and Salty Treats Only on Occasion: There is nothing wrong with treating yourself on occasion to chips or a dessert.  They just can’t be a regular part of your lifestyle.  The problem with those types of foods is that they don’t have any nutritional value for your body.  They are simply “empty calories.” Though, admittedly, they are tasty!  So, save them for an occasional snack.  Just don’t make them a regular part of your diet.

Self-Care for Your Mind

Our brains are just like our bodies.  We have to fill them with “good food.”  Admittedly, we don’t often think about it in that way.  As a result, we read garbage on the Internet and watch nonsense on television.  Then we wonder why we are anxious or depressed.  The answer is that we haven’t been putting good food in our brains.

Realize that our minds are more fragile than we think.  I’ve met many people over the years who are mentally weak.  They are the type of people who fly off the handle and get upset at the littlest issues.  Creating chaos and drama is what they do best.  They have no self-control.  And as a result, their lives are a disaster.

That is why developing mental fortitude is so critical.  You don’t want to be someone who falls apart in the face of adversity.  You don’t want to have a weak mind. 

Feed Your Mind Good Food

As a result, it is important to care for your mind, as you would your body.  Fill it with good things.  While there is a lot of junk on the Internet and the television, there also is a lot of good stuff.  There are good-natured comedies and educational documentaries.  There are inspirational interviews and lectures. 

The reality is that there is an abundance of good things to watch on the television and to read, either on the Internet or in books.  The question isn’t whether you can find positive things.  The issue is whether you will make the right choices. 

Develop a Calm Mind

Similarly, you should be giving your brain good training.  And I don’t mean doing math problems.  I mean training your brain to be calm.  A calm mind is a strong mind.  Any time you find yourself getting overwhelmed, barking at other people, or feeling aggravated, you are suffering from a weak mind. 

To have a controlled, calm mind, you need to learn to quiet your mind.  Two great ways to do that are through prayer or meditation.  When we pray or meditate, we learn to put our brains in a calm state. 

The beauty of a prayer or meditation practice is that the more time you spend in a quiet state of mind, the more natural that state feels to you.  Then, pretty soon, being quiet and calm will feel natural.  By contrast, being anxious and aggravated will feel odd.

The key is to develop a prayer or meditation practice that you do every day.  Each day, you need to step away from the computer screen, the television and other people, and simply clear your head.  If you find it difficult to calm your mind, you might try a guided meditation.  There are many on YouTube.  Find one that works for you, and use it on a daily basis to take a break and settle your mind.

Now, admittedly, self-control also plays a large part in developing a calm mind.  As a result, when feelings of irritation arise, you have to tamp them down.  When you feel offended, you have to ignore the offending person or comment.  When you are upset, you need to control your reaction.  You can’t emotionally flail about.  However, the more you practice being in control of your thoughts and emotions, the calmer your mind will become.

Self-care is important.  It isn’t an indulgence in life.  Self-care is a necessity.  It is necessary so that we can be our very best for both ourselves and for those we love.  Create a self-care practice that works for you.  You deserve it!