Even though it feels and looks like full-blown winter outside in some parts of the country, we are officially a few days from spring–a great time of year especially for baseball fans, gardeners, farmers and everyone who enjoys the warmer weather.
Spring is when plants begin to bud, and people care for their yards and clean house. Novelist and poet Margaret Atwood says, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
While we care for the things around us and for others, spring is a reminder that we should care for ourselves, too. Without self-care, everything else suffers including our well-being. Self-care is under our control; no one can do it for us. Self-care is not only important, it’s crucial.
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Below are seven practical steps that experts in the health field recommend:
1. Make time to eat well and exercise, even if you’re busy.
2. Know when to say “no” to requests.
3. Find a balance between work, family and personal time–protect your schedule.
4. Honor your emotional and spiritual needs.
5. Foster and nurture meaningful relationships.
6. Spend your time and money on what matters.
7. Take care of your well-being every day.
Taking these steps is not always easy or without challenges, but worth the investment. I find that practicing these steps daily helps build good habits and a healthy way of life.
It may take time, but in the end we are all better for it. Self-care reduces stress, helps us to refocus on what’s important and allows us to be there for others. What is the best advice you have received for self-care? Please share.
