Self-care is extremely important – you never forget to take care of your loved ones but how often do you take care of yourself? Think about it. You might be surprised by the answer. Well, the truth is that you cannot take care of others properly if you do not know how to take care of yourself first. There is so much you can do to indulge in some self-care every day, but the most confusing thing is – how to start?
Moreover, self-care is not always pampering yourself, going out for a movie, eating your favorite junk food. Self-care is also about working hard to achieve your goals, saying ‘no’ to yourself when you know that’s the right thing to do, etc. It is a little tricky to understand the difference between self-care and self-spoiling because you do not know where to draw the line. However, it is not the case that self-care is always serious. It can also be fun when you take care of your needs but also have fun – think about this scenario – you are playing real cash games and you are learning, winning, earning, and growing – all at once.
You must never take yourself for granted because ultimately, it is only you who is going to be with you forever. Thus, take care of yourself as much as you can. Here are a few ways you can indulge in some self-care –
- Understand yourself – Before trying to take care of yourself, it is important for you to understand your needs and goals. What brings you happiness? What is your idea of self-care? What makes you happy? Understand yourself in a better way to take care of yourself for long. You can think about it in a deep manner or you can even write down your observations so you can revisit them whenever you are in a dilemma.
- Prioritize yourself – Do not put your happiness at stake, even if you want to make someone else happy. Of course, exceptions are always there – we are not encouraging you to become selfish or indifferent. However, as discussed above, do not take yourself for granted because if you do, people will also follow in your footsteps. Know when to prioritize yourself and act on it. Prioritizing yourself means that you respect yourself enough to see your value or worth.
- Challenge yourself, physically and mentally – Indulge in some rigorous workout or exercise every day. Keep moving. Do not give in to your laziness. If you just keep sitting or idling around, you will never be able to grow or go out of your comfort zone. Moreover, not just physically, but it is also important to challenge yourself mentally. You can do so by solving puzzles, sudoku, etc. You can also take part in other mind games. For example, you can try your hands on playing a satisfying game at the poker game table or indulge in some chess. These activities will keep your mind active.
- Indulge in positive reinforcement – Whenever you do something positive, do not forget to reinforce that behavior by giving yourself a nice reward. It does not matter how big or small the reward is. It can be chocolate or even a nice fancy gift for yourself. The important thing is to encourage positive behavior by rewarding it. This is one of the best ways to take care of yourself because this way, you are only promoting the ideal behavior and discouraging the unwanted one.
- Always seek social support – Do not think that you are alone whenever you are a little upset. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness, rather a sign of strength. It means that you can about yourself enough to do something about it, even if it means taking help from the outside. Thus, do not forget to seek social support from your family members, friends, or other loved ones. It is only going to help you grow and achieve success in the future.
Final thoughts
Taking care of yourself is the best gift that you can give to yourself. You can indulge in some self-care in multiple ways. The most important thing is to never be hard or cruel to yourself. Talk to yourself as if you are talking to your best friend – even if he or she makes a mistake, you will refrain from screaming at him or her, rather you will be supportive and understanding of his or her emotions. Thus, it is important to understand that ultimately, you are your best friend, and then comes the rest of the people. This is because you cannot take care of someone else if you do not know how to indulge in some self-care.
