Today’s post is from our regular Tuesday contributor, Sally.
I recently returned from an absolutely amazing trip to Austin, TX where I had the privilege of standing next to one of my best friends while she said “I do” to the man of her dreams. While I had never been to Texas before, I have listened to quite a few conversations between the bride and several of my sorority sisters on how great of a place it is and was excited to be able to experience it for myself.
I had the pleasure of being picked up from the airport and getting to stay with a beautiful friend who is also a sorority sister and was a bridesmaid in the wedding as well. When I say she’s a beautiful friend, I mean that she’s salt of the earth. One of the many reasons I love getting to spend time with her is that she makes no qualms about needing to do her own thing, which includes a lot of self care. And as she works with traumatized children every day, self care is something that is extremely vital for her.
In fact, I think self care is something that is vital for all beings. Even doing something for yourself once a week can have a positive impact on your health and well-being. Here are a few ways of self care that one can do:
Massages
Getting a massage every month or once every couple of weeks could be just the thing to put you back on the right track. For the area I live in, the typical price seems to be about $50 to $60 for an hour-long massage. So about a dollar a minute for something that could really make a difference for how you feel and if you get them once a month, something you can look forward to.
Exercising
Okay, for some people, this is their worst nightmare. I can definitely understand! But the benefits you get from working out consistently are amazing – you feel more confident about yourself, your body physically feels better, your skin becomes healthier and looks it too! Try a few different ways to work out until you find one that’s best for you such as swimming, tennis, running, biking or the myriad of other work outs that exist. This gives you time to focus on your body and making sure it’s healthy; working out has a positive impact not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally as well.
Reading/Audio Books
Not everyone likes to read, but if you do or have a faint memory of enjoying reading back when you had free time, reading might be the perfect self care for yourself. Giving yourself 30 minutes before bed every night or taking some alone time at lunch to read a few chapters, may be what you need. Listening to audio books on your daily commute can help combat the ‘work blues’ or prepare you for the chaos you will find when you get home from work that day. This is also something that you can choose how much money you spend doing it, thanks to local libraries.
Animal Therapy
If you have ever owned an animal or own one now, then you’ve probably noticed that they somehow just make you feel better. Now, I’m not suggesting that you run out and get an animal if you don’t have one because animals require a lot of care and you need to put in a lot of thought before you own one (David’s wife Victoria wrote a great article about that here); but what I’m saying is that animals can give you the therapy and happiness you need. If you don’t own a pet, get some face time with a friend or family member’s, or go to the shelter and volunteer to take the dogs for walks. There’s nothing like a nice walk with a dog whose love and joy at being with you in the great outdoors can’t fix.
Self care is something I definitely feel is so important for people to give themselves. One of my favorite ways I take care of myself happens when I lay down for bed at night – I relax all of my limbs one-by-one and do deep-breathing techniques. When I wake up the next day, I feel much more positive. Whether it’s journaling, getting your nails done, one of my suggestions above, or something else that helps you reconnect with yourself, try to do it regularly. And an important thing to remember is that while you might not think you have time to do some self care, that’s exactly when you need it most.
What are ways you take care of yourself? Do you believe that self care is something important to do for yourself?
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I am so glad that it’s warming up outside because I am in desperate need of some exercise. We have been out walking around the neighborhood every night and it feels great. I’m so much happier when I am able to get outdoors.
“Animal therapy” is my favorite on this list :) Although caring for an animal is an added expense and responsibility, in my opinion, they are well worth it!
I wouldn’t mind incorporating a massage or two every month into my routine : ) Someday! You do make a great point though – it’s super important to take good care of yourself!
I am a big fan of exercising for caring for my physical health and reading to care for my mental health. I had a life coach tell me years ago that I needed to meditate more and find more balance in my life, but I couldn’t find the time. We both agreed that reading would be my meditation and it is a great tool for me.
I enjoy reading and also a little music therapy can be very helpful.
Can’t underestimate the importance of this post, Sally!!! As I head toward 50, my definition of self-care is changing. High impact exercise like boot camp classes is being replaced with long, brisk walks, daily stretching, and a bit of resistance training. Going out and whooping it up with friends is being replaced by sitting in the living room with them, sharing a cup of hot tea. Caring for our physical and emotional selves is hugely important. Great post!
Holly at ClubThriftyIt was pretty warm here yesterday but then it dropped to 20-some degrees overnight. So we had snow this morning :( Spring is right around the corner, though!
CSMillennial Pets are definitely well worth the expense and time commitment.
I agree, Sally! Self-care is so vital and important – it is not selfish! To me, exercise is a must. I wake up very early so I can get a workout in before the family is awake and it’s my time. It’s a happy exhaustion and revs me up for the day. I definitely enjoy a massage when I can. It’s great to have someone work those knots out. Self care is my mind is a necessary indulgence that makes me a better wife, mom, friend and boss.
I love getting massages! I consider it as a splurge but it’s nice to get every once in a while! I will also try to exercise more, because even though it looks, I usually feel good afterwards!
Some health insurances might even cover massages…unfortunately mine doesn’t. Taking care of yourself is important…gotta stay physically and mentally healthy if you want to be productive.
Oh massages (or a facial) are one of my favorite treats. I’d throw podcasts in there with the audiobooks. I’m heading to Dallas for a wedding in July (MoH — so lots of money being thrown at this) and then going to Austin after. I keep hearing awesome things about Austin so I’m really excited for the trip!
I do agree that taking care of yourself is worth it – especially in the long run. We practiced the technique you use before falling asleep in my yoga class and it really helped me relax. I love having my cats around, and as I work at an animal shelter, I get to see cute dogs every day! It’s great.
I read and walk a lot for self-care. I would love to get regular massages, but I have a hard time justifying the expense. I would like to start seeing a chiropractor again though — which is possible my favorite thing ever :) And now that I’m re-insured, it would probably be pretty cheap!
I love how you pointed out getting massages. It’s been years since I routinely got them, but I remember that I felt a lot better when i was getting them. I think it’s worth it to look into things like this as much as possible. Sometimes things can get a bit pricey, but I’d much rather spend a bit of extra money to get these things done than to have health issues because I didn’t take care of myself.
http://eurospaofnaples.com/other-service/massage-therapy/