How to Up Your Self Care Game

As the winter season approaches, life tends to get busier with the holidays and end-of-year deadlines. To best endure these hectic seasons, you need to ensure your self-care regime is top-notch. Investing time in your mental and physical wellness will help you relieve stress and prevent burnout during the busiest times.

If you find yourself without intentional self-care routines or habits, it’s never too late to start. Stepping up your self-care game may benefit you in a variety of ways, but most importantly, it can help you feel more confident and at ease. The following are areas where you can invest your time to boost your self-care and overall wellbeing.

A Comfy Closet

Don’t underestimate how clothes can affect your mood. They impact your body temperature and comfort level when you’re working, out and about, or just chilling at home. Investing in some staple items that improve your comfort is a perfect example of self-care. For those who work remotely, investing in some comfy sweatpants and cozy sweaters is a great option for creating comfort while working.

For women, there are many ways to introduce comfort to the wardrobe. Wireless bras have been life changing for women as they provide support without the annoyance of wires. Investing in comfortable shoes, especially dress shoes, will better your experience when going to work or special events too. These improvements seem small, but making the upgrade will prevent you from being in pain all day. Being comfortable is a large part of caring for yourself.

Nighttime Routine

Sleep can impact your mental health, so it’s important to take the steps needed to sleep well and consistently. Bedtime routines are essential for relaxation and preparing for a good night’s sleep.  Start by going to bed at the same time every night, this will get your body used to falling asleep around the same time. It’s good practice to rid your sleeping space of blue-light devices, like phones, TVs, and tablets, as bedtime exposure could hurt your sleep cycles.

Creating a process that expands on self-care and includes elements you like will make your nighttime routine a positive experience. Introducing steps like skincare, meditation, or an hour of reading will give you an enjoyable way to wind down. Adding a warm bath to the mix will help you relax your muscles and your mind. Once you’ve started some good habits, you may discover a new excitement in getting ready for bed.

Boundaries

While it’s not always the most fun part of upping your self-care, setting boundaries is an important part of managing your well-being. In any person’s life, some people may regularly request time and attention. Friends, family, and work teams are three core groups that often value your time and presence. You may enjoy your time with friends and family, but everyone needs an occasional break from loved ones. Overstretching yourself can get old quickly, no matter the circumstance. There’s only so much you can do, and you need to have time to yourself too.

Start by having honest conversations with your friends and family. If you want to save time for some intentional self-care, you may need to limit how often you spend time with them. It’s OK to pass on invites from time to time to take care of yourself.  Of course work relationships are different, and often colleagues need you for company goals that are not necessarily their own. Discuss these boundaries with your supervisor to get support when communicating with your team. Communicating your boundaries can be challenging, but it will prevent you from drowning when your schedule is filled to the brim.

Occasional Treats

Treating yourself can look very different from person to person. For a lot of people, it’s buying takeout or a good beverage from their favorite cafe, but it doesn’t have to be limited to food items. There are other ways to make yourself feel special that may even have longer-lasting benefits for your wellbeing. Saving up and spending money on a new bed or a nice vacation are two bigger investments that can improve your quality of life.

Massages and sauna sessions are two other ways to treat yourself in a more luxurious way. While a bit more expensive than quick coffee, you can often find these services for below $100, making them reasonable options for a monthly treat. These services help you relax and ease muscle pain, along with providing other health benefits. They are great options for relieving stress and unwinding after a long day.

Counseling

You don’t need to be struggling with a major mental illness to reap the benefits of counseling. Investing in regular counseling sessions will give you someone to talk to on a regular basis. It also gives you a safe space to express your emotions and to receive input from someone who’s less biased. After some time in the process, you may feel yourself becoming more confident and comfortable with who you are.

Counselors and therapists also help you meet your goals in personal development, interpersonally and within your relationships. Life coaches are counseling professionals who center their practice around motivating you. If you have certain goals you’re hoping to meet in the next year, a life coach can be a cheerleader along your journey. Regardless of your specific needs, counseling is bound to make a positive impact on your life, which is the goal of self-care.

It’s Worth Your Time

When so many events, activities, and tasks around you are deemed “important,” it can be challenging to dedicate time to self-care. Those with children or other dependents may struggle to prioritize themselves every day. It’s key to understand how even a few minutes of “me time” can enhance your long days. Whether you prefer to treat yourself or introduce new healthy habits, the effort put into self-care is never wasted.