Self Care for Life

Compiled by: Nechsma Alvarez, HR Assistant, ANDRUS

Self care means doing things to support your physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing. Reduce stress and feel more able to cope with whatever life throws at you. Self care can protect you against burnout in your work and your personal life and can also put you in the best position to feel healthy and thriving, and to get the most enjoyment out of life.

Taking time for self care can be very difficult, especially if you’re busy or spend a lot of time looking after others. However, the better you’re feeling the more able you’ll be to put your energy into work, family, or other activities in your life. So this weekend try to Schedule “You” Time.

Most of us find it hard to schedule in time for ourselves with no other obligations. If we are struggling to find time to sleep, fitting in a massage may seem impossible. The wonderful thing is that “you” time is likely to leave you more energized, more emotionally grounded, and better able to face the world and its challenges. Taking time for yourself may actually support you to power through your the other tasks in your life. You may also feel more fulfilled and lively as a result. If you spend a lot of time doing for others and not engaging in self care, it’s easy to start feeling drained and for resentment to creep in.

What you do during your “you” time depends on what brings you joy and relaxation. It could be painting, watching a movie, reading a book, going to a play, or taking a hot bath. It might even be taking 5 minutes to breathe and listen to your favorite song. Whatever helps you to feel supported, refreshed, and less stressed. If you haven’t been doing much self care, it may take awhile to sort out what will bring you the most pleasure during your free time. The process of figuring that out can also be rewarding.

Whatever activities you choose for your “you” time; it may be helpful to schedule that time. Experiment with treating it with as much importance as a big meeting at work. It’s easy to push time for self care aside if you haven’t made it a priority.