7 Self-Care Rituals That Will Make You a Happier and Healthier Person
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When was the last time you took an hour out just for yourself? As in, you physically put aside time on the calendar to spend time doing something youlove? If you're anything like us, it was a long time ago. But why? With job stress on the rise, the danger of not implementing these simple self-care rituals is burnout, or, even worse, an emotional breakdown. Selena Gomez vocalized the important of self-care earlier this year when she took a tour break to focus on her mental health. “I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness,” she said in a statement.
It's good to see the simple act of self-care back in the social narrative. In a fast-paced world that doesn't seem to stop, there is a collective need to slow down and switch off. And it's time we started empowering ourselves with the simple tools to make it happen. Incorporating a few of these simple science-backed rituals into your daily life will help you breathe a little easier and keep your stress levels in check.
Do Some Free-Form Journaling
Keeping a level head isn't so easy when you're juggling a myriad of different balls in the air. But if you're feeling overwhelmed, take some time to get whatever is on your mind out of it. Sometimes this means reverting to the old-fashioned art of putting it on paper. The benefits of journaling are scientifically backed, after all.
In a 2005 study on the emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing, researchers found that just 15 to 20 minutes of writing three to five times over the course of the four-month study was enough to make a difference. In fact, the act of writing is so powerful it can even make physical wounds heal faster. New Zealand researchers found their patients healed faster when they wrote their thoughts and feelings for just 20 minutes, three days in a row, two weeks before a biopsy was performed.
If you don't want to keep a journal, try free-form journaling instead. This process involves writing down and releasing all the negative thoughts and internal tension you have. Start your script with "I let go of…" or "I release…" and then let loose with whatever comes to mind. Let the pen write without thinking, you'll be amazed at what comes out. Then once you're done (about 5 to 10 minutes is good), rip it up and throw it in the trash.
Schedule Alone Time
In this age of technology, there is no off switch anymore. We're constantly distracted. From the buzzing message alerts on our smartphones to the beeps of our Google calendar reminders, it's akin to an arcade hall in your hand; it's just that the doors never close at the end of a long day. So how do you switch off the incessant noise and flashing lights of modern life and shut down for a while? Schedule some alone time in you're e-cal for starters, and then turn on the "Do Not Disturb" feature on your phone so no one can contact you (email, call, or text message) during the time you set. Yep, it's time to start making technology to work in your favor.
It doesn't matter what you do in that alone time, but a few things we recommend are reading, water coloring, meditating, or cooking. You could even pick up a new hobby or start on that DIY you've always wanted to try. Just remember, this is your time, so even if you spend it relaxing or being still and doing nothing, the choice is yours and just enjoy it.
Start Dry Body Brushing
If there's one self-care ritual you can easily adopt today, it's the act of dry body brushing. Miranda Kerr swears by it. "It’s a great way to get the circulation going, remove dead skin cells, aid lymphatic drainage, detoxify your system and keep your skin smooth all over," she told The Daily Mail. "I start with my feet and legs and work my way up in quick gentle strokes. It needn’t be too time-consuming and just takes a few minutes before jumping into the shower."
Integrative medicine physician Frank Lipman, MD, founder and director of the wellness company Be Well, agrees. "It also stimulates the circulation beneathyour skin," he says of the pre-shower maneuver, "which helps promote cellular renewal and vitality." Just taking this time out to heal your body is rewarding in of itself.
Practice Emotional First Aid
You drink water when you have a headache and take vitamin C when you're feeling ill, but what have you done lately for your mental health? How often do you take the time to heal any psychological wounds? We can probably bet that many of you don't. Psychologist Guy Winch believes we pay more attention to the body than the mind and that we could all do with a good dose of emotional first aid. And we all know how physically crippling it can be when we ignore our emotional pain. So how do we start?
In Winch's Ted Talk, he outlines some of the ways we can practice emotional hygiene to take care of our emotions and our minds with the same care as we do our bodies. From paying more attention to our emotional pain to redirecting your gut reaction when you fail, Winch shares his seven steps to practice emotional first aid so you can start today.
Source:http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1yG4ky/:1Znr-6Q6W:l24HUcp6/www.mydomaine.com/self-care
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