There are some self-care goals every woman should have. Sometimes it seems as though self-care has become a trend; just another topic to push into the minds of people who will read, well, just about anything "juicy." Something trivial. But this article comes from a deep place; years of learning to love myself, and watching others struggle, and having some social work experience.
And not wanting that to happen to you.
… And because I want you to love yourselves to your utmost, here are some self-care goals every woman should have.
Now, I know this is probably the most generic answer you will find but just bear with me on this one. As someone who is fresh out of college, I have seen and done my fair share of not reaching this goal, many, many times. School comes first, right? At least that is the common mindset of nearly every college student, and honestly, every employee in our culture as well.
So how does someone get to sleep when sleep doesn't exactly pay the bills? Here's my answer: We live in a time when everyone is constantly hurrying to the next thing. When we get home, we have a significant other or animal or child to take care of. We don't give ourselves time to sleep.
This one is tough, but nearly every health guru will tell you that sleep is important! It's how we recharge our bodies, and you cannot expect to feel refreshed without it. Getting enough rest is one of the most important self-care goals every woman should have.
Yeah, I get it. This is generic. This is pretty much what I just said. But it's important. Because YOU are important. If you are having a hectic day, pencil in an hour or two for just taking care of you. Every day, or even once a week, give this gift to yourself and have some high-quality "you" time. It is always more than okay to take a break.
Now, what you do during this time isn't necessarily the focus of this point, as long as it is positive and refreshing. But really, set an hour timer on your phone and put it in airplane mode or turn it off, put it in another room, or just set an hour aside to do something you enjoy.
But what if someone needs to reach me? The truth is, not everyone deserves or is obligated to your time. Airplane mode is a wonderful app on most phones these days that allows for your phone battery to be maintained while cutting off all usage of cell signal. When you put your phone on airplane mode, you are cutting off contact.
Now, I don't recommend doing this constantly, as isolating is never a great thing long-term either, but sometimes, I have found, giving yourself SPACE and not worrying about the next call or text, is very liberating and refreshing. Plus, it saves phone battery more than turning off your phones, so props to technology on that one!
Yep, you read that right. We are all human beings, just trying to get along in this world. Most of us are compassionate towards others, but we treat ourselves like garbage. It's quite sad, really. Because we are worth so much more than that.
I have found that instead of my usual habits of beating myself up, talking to myself as if I would a dear friend is incredibly helpful. And I'm betting your best friend would never treat you like garbage, and if they do, that brings me to my next point.
This point is actually a lot more difficult than it seems. All too often, we encounter "friends" and loved ones who do not treat us with the respect, love and care we deserve. It can be really hard to shed toxicity like that from our lives.
But once you surround yourself with positive people, it'll be a lot easier to attain all the points in this article. Believe me, I would know. And, in light of that...
Personally, I find this to be one of the hardest points on this list. If someone betrays you, even if they had been someone that you'd thought was an incredibly healthy person, it's really going to hurt.
But letting them go, hard as it may be, is NEVER your fault. Part of realizing your own worth is realizing that not everyone deserves you. And sometimes you have to let go of the bad eggs to find the golden ones.
This one is incredibly simple. But just think about it! When someone compliments you, even a total stranger, it can feel pretty darn good!
It also works it reverse. When you give someone else a compliment, their positive emotions will come right back at you, and it'll genuinely make you feel better, while simultaneously making someone else's day better. Might seem selfish if you look at it this way, but hey, it works!
I get it. This one is hard. Especially for all of you introverts out there who get exhausted from human interaction. But several sources, (including this article) will tell you that isolation, particularly severe isolation, can lead to mood issues and generally poor emotional states.
It's also hard if you suffer from a mental illness, and when the last thing you want is to be around people. But hey, take it from someone who knows. Feeling truly alone, really, really sucks. So that is why this point is here. Even if it doesn't mean interacting with anyone. Even if it just means going for a walk. . .
This point is pretty straightforward. Nature is naturally calming and healing in so many ways. I'm no scientist, but good friends and personal experience have shown that being in a forest away from a hectic city, or even just being near trees, is incredibly beneficial.
And finally. . .
This is SO important. What I mean by this is simply to live in the moment. The simplest technique I've found is to count a few sensory observations in the moment. For example,"I can feel the sunlight on my face from the window."
Just try it. Trust me. We don't live in the moment by ignoring what's around us! And hey, once you're closer to these techniques, why would you want to?