Self care can be a tricky subject – the whole world thinks you should do a few things here and a few things there, but there’s no saying these little caring and loving acts are going to make you feel better! It’s good for you, of course, but sometimes it can seem a little overrated.
Which is why it’s important to learn how to do your own forms of self care – you need to be able to support and nurture yourself, and sometimes a long soak in the bath just doesn’t cut it.
So, without further ado, here are some questions to ask yourself when looking for a self care act that’ll actually feel comforting and fulfilling:
Does it Feel Particularly Nice to You?
Self care should feel good, even if not straight away. Telling a toxic friend that they have hurt or offended you might feel scary and horrible in the moment, but you’ll reap some very positive emotions from it in the long term.
All in all, make sure that whatever kind of self care you’re thinking of investing in is going to be good for you. That’s it going to do something for your brain and body; even just taking a nap after a long day counts, and that’s one of the simplest things in the world to do!
Acts of self care don’t have to be difficult, and most of the time, you don’t have to fight for those positive feelings.
Will it Change the Course of Your Day?
If you want to carry out a productive and comforting act of self care, you’re going to need to throw in a few activities that’ll change the way your day is going. Even if you were just planning to sit around for the next hour, deciding to get up and do something is an act of self care that makes sure you’re on your feet and making use of your time. When you’ve had quite the depressive cycle recently, this is a huge thing to do, and will do a lot for how you’re feeling.
So, if you’re able to do something that breaks up the grind, or breaks up the non-grind you’ve accidentally committed to lately, there’s a lot of quick fixes that’ll hopefully start a snowball pattern. Now it doesn’t have to be something as big as attending a drug and alcohol detox center; instead, it could be making yourself something nice to eat, like some chocolate croissants.
Or it could be styling your hair a little differently, to give yourself something nice to do, and change the way you look just a little – we all enjoy that! No matter what you’re into, or the things you have around the house that you could do, as long as it’s new or different, it’ll work.
Taking care of yourself might take a lot out of you, but it’s for the best. Make sure your self care acts are beneficial, rather than performative.
