Self Care Habits for 2022

I realize that I haven’t talked too much about wellness yet this year, so I figured the best way to start the conversation is by sharing some self care habits that I think anybody could easily implement. I’ll be separating these into 3 categories: physical wellness, mental/emotional health and spirituality.
Starting off with spirituality, let’s just spill out the obvious and say that for the most part, I am a spiritual person. This is different from saying “I am religious”; I don’t identify as that personally. However, if you do identify as religious or belong to a certain religious group (Christianity, Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, etc.), then that’s okay. Here’s a compiled list of what I’d consider to be good self care habits in this category:

1. Meditation/prayer
2. Journaling/self reflection
3. *Reading (ie. a bible, self-development books, books on Astrology or some other spiritual interest). 
4. Practicing grounding/centering yourself- whatever you decide to call it, the ideas surrounding this concept are all about remembering what you value the most and what makes you feel at peace the most, or can help you feel like you’re “at one with the universe” or in unity with what you believe in.
5. *Practicing gratitude

*Reading in general is also great for your mental health as it challenges and stimulates your mind, and the same can be said for gratitude. There is a connection between our mental/emotional well-being and our spiritual well-being, and so in saying that, I’d say that gratitude is necessary, but it’s also okay to see reality for what it is and to work on accepting that. 

Mental & Emotional Health
1. Slow Down!- it can be as little as ten minutes per activity within your day, but in more professional settings where breaks may feel sparse, try utilizing your bathroom or coffee breaks as a time to just decompress and breathe. It’s just as easy to pick up your phone and look through your messages or scroll on social media, but when you slow down and learn to separate yourself from all that external chatter, the pace of life starts to feel less rushed/hectic. 

2. Set up consistent routines- whether it's getting enough sleep, cutting back on unhealthy foods, limiting the use of technology or becoming more physically active, the biggest roadblock that prevents these habits from becoming routines is what we tell ourselves inside our minds. Saying things like “I don’t have time” or “I don’t know where to start” is understandable, but we all have to start somewhere. Break down these routines into tiny steps that feel more achievable and you’ll be able to make better progress once you have started.

3. Positive self talk vs. Negative self talk- I know this is something I still struggle with sometimes if I’m being honest here. It’s not easy to maintain a positive mindset when we’re faced with conflict either within ourselves or with other people, but truly, being critical towards ourselves is more likely to complicate the process rather than making it easier. That, plus is aids to our mental/emotional health in a negative way (that's why it's called negative self-talk). What are some negative comments that you know you can work on within yourself? How does saying those things make you feel about yourself? Identify the accuracy of your thoughts and see if you can work on improving your own self-talk as a little bit of effort really does go a long way. 

4. Reset days/do nothing days- if you have the ability to take a day off from school, work or any other responsibilities, then please do so. Life is hard and can be chaotic sometimes. For me, I always enjoy it when Monday comes around because that allows me to reset my life and my physical surroundings. So whatever your demands are in life, remember that it’s okay to say “I need time alone” and to not do anything for part of an afternoon or for an entire day.

5. Talk to someone. It can literally be anyone that you trust, like a friend or family member. There’s no shame in speaking up about a certain situation you’re in, and if you feel like you need it, then there’s no shame in talking to a therapist either. 

Physical Health
It may be cliche at this point to say that physical activity greatly benefits our quality of life. There are many different exercises that one could do either out in public or in the comfort of your own home. I know what works for me, but if I had to put together a condensed list, this is what it would look like:
A. Going to the gym
B. Walking, swimming or jogging
C. Outdoor hobbies (ie. hiking or sporting activities)
D. Indoor hobbies (ie. yoga or other at-home routines)
E. Dancing/aerobics 

Food is honestly one of my favorite pleasures in life, but part of what makes physical health important is not just getting enough exercise, but also making sure you're nourishing your body by giving it what it needs. There’s also a mental component to this because if you’re trying to lose weight or become more healthy for reasons that don’t make you feel good or like you’re constricting yourself, then that’s just going to make the process more complicated. Eating healthy foods because you know it’s good for you and because you enjoy it makes the process feel less like a diet, and more like a lifestyle. It would be easy for me to say that you should ban all processed sugars from your house or stop eating certain things that are high in sodium or carbohydrates, but in all honesty, that’s not a mindset that feels healthy to me. Eat what you love and work on those other foods that are “bad for you” in baby steps. Life’s too short to always be putting yourself in a place of deprivation just for the sake of reaching your goals. 

*DISCLAIMER: Some of what I’ve expressed in this post comes from my own personal experiences. I am not a dietitian or health care specialist, so if you’re in a different position from where I am in life, that’s okay. We have doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers and other health care professionals within our system who are looking to add value to your life and well-being, so truly and honestly, make sure that your own needs are being met in a way that works for you.