A study on health and self-care by the Samueli Foundation states that “more than 9 in 10 physicians (96%) believe self-care should be considered an essential part of overall health, and 88 percent of patients agree.”
Yet, “more than 1 in 4 Americans (28%) say they feel guilty when practicing self-care.”
Most of them believe that self-care is only possible for people who have enough time. Some even believe that self-care can only be done when they have enough money.
You don’t have to spend $$$ to take care of yourself. Most of these daily habits can help you (re-)gain and maintain your energy without breaking the bank:
- Physical self-care
- (rest & relaxation, exercise & movement, and healthy meals)
- Emotional self-care
(stress relief & management, support from family & friends, and compassion (first for yourself – and then for others))
- Social self-care
- (knowing your values, setting boundaries & priorities, and asking for help)
- Spiritual self-care
- (time for yourself and for what brings you joy, mindfulness & meditation, and personal practices, such as prayer or journaling)
My favorite free self-care activities include:
- Spending time alone. Just by myself. With my phone set to “Do not disturb.”
- Asking for help. I love my support network which I call “Team Andrea.”
- Saying no, so I can say yes to what and who matters to me.
- Identifying distractions, so I can set boundaries to protect my attention, time and energy, our most valuable resources.
Yes, your attention, time, and energy are your most valuable resources.
And time is not something we can get back. But we can adjust our focus and how we spend our attention. And we can definitely get our energy back when we are depleted.
Starting today, let’s look at relaxation and self-care as opportunities to RESET YOUR ENERGY. Click on the picture to get my free guide: 5 Simple Steps to Reset Your Energy
