Self-care is any activity that you do deliberately to take care of your mental, emotional, or physical health. Proper self-care is key to improving mood and reducing anxiety. It can help you maintain a healthy relationship with yourself because it facilitates positive feelings and boosts your confidence. Always remember that your needs are important, and living a happy healthy life requires taking time for yourself. Following are a few easy ways you can support your own well-being.
- Listen to podcasts: If you’re feeling stressed or overworked, podcasts can be a helpful resource to learn self-care coping strategies. There is no shortage of podcasts that revolve around honest conversations about mental health. Others aim to teach you how to maintain a healthy work-life balance and discuss the value of mindfulness and reflection.
- Meditating: In today’s hectic world, we are constantly running around and leave little time to take care of ourselves. When we are so caught up on fulfilling obligations and sticking to a schedule, we forget to reflect on our own well-being. Pick a time each day—maybe right when you wake up or right before you go to bed—and take a few minutes to channel your inner peace. Try downloading an app for a guided meditation.
- Work out: Stress is an inevitable part of life, so finding a way to combat these feelings is important. Exercise is considered vital for maintaining mental fitness and reducing stress. Exercise and other physical activities produce endorphins, chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers and improve the ability to sleep, which can help reduce stress.
- Treat yourself to CoolSculpting®: A healthy diet and regular exercise don’t always get you the body you want. CoolSculpting at our Des Moines practice can help you get rid of stubborn pockets of fat without surgery, needles, or downtime. Improving the appearance of pesky problem areas can be a great way to help you look your best and, more importantly, feel your best.
- Schedule regular BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments: BOTOX is a wonderful way to soften dynamic wrinkles in the face caused by repeated expressions. Appointments only take about 30 minutes and require minimal downtime. Results last approximately 3 to 6 months, and regularly scheduled appointments can help maintain your results. You deserve to take 15 minutes to yourself every few months, especially if it improves your self-esteem.
- Going outdoors: It sounds so simple but turning off your computer and phone for a little bit each day and going outside is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Research shows that being in nature can help reduce blood pressure and muscle tension and slows the production of stress hormones. On top of that, the calming sound of water, wind, or birds can actually help you feel more relaxed.
- Spending time with loved ones: Call a family member and close friend and schedule a lunch date—it doesn’t have to be anything fancy! Talking with friends, laughing, and getting out of the house are great ways to relieve stress.
Out of interest, we talked to our team about their self-care routines, and here are some comments we heard:
Elise, licensed clinical aesthetician: I once read that happiness is the joy we feel striving towards our potential and while I thrive on striving, I rarely take moments to just be and not do. For me, self-care is a conscious moment of being and not doing.
1. Enjoying my first cup of tea with no distractions and no multi-tasking… that’s true indulgence.
2. Don’t rush through your yoga practice… focus on your breath and be there. That’s the point, isn’t it?
3. Connection. When you’re with your people, be with your people. Get out of your head and meet them with your whole self. Oh, and cats. Cats totally restore me.
Ellen, licensed clinical aesthetician: There are many things that I embrace for self-care, but I believe these have the most influence on my vitality and health. I begin each day in quiet and prayer, harnessing gratefulness and asking God to bless my day. I focus on looking for the beauty in the lives and the life that surrounds me. I eat nourishing foods, move my body, practice yoga, play tennis and surround myself with good people that I love. And I believe the most important self-care practice I have is my mindset. I choose to be happy and positive and not let negativity into my precious being.
If you want more self-care ideas or are interested in CoolSculpting or BOTOX, request a consultation online or call our office at (515) 277-5555.
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