Self-care is something I have thought a lot about in the last couple of weeks. I even wrote a bit about my struggles to find the time to unwind some days ago. And it is like the universe is trying to tell me something because everywhere I turn, it is a well-being blog post video, or podcast. I find it very hard to remember to care for myself because I am busy caring for everyone and everything else. But I had a reality check some days ago, and I have decided to focus on my well-being a lot more in order to get things done effectively and to be in the right frame of mind.
A happy, healthy person is a go-getter, but it can be very tricky to care for yourself when you are self-employed. When you work for yourself, from home, you will likely find it so hard to switch off. I know I do. I find it hard to get my mind off my work. I find myself working every spare moment I get, even late in the evenings and weekends. And when I am not working, I am thinking about what I need to do. But I have now realised I am doing myself a disservice by not relaxing. So I have decided to take action. Here are some ways I will be looking after me some more:
Exercise
My daily steps target is 10,000. Some days I am close to hitting my target, I exceed the target on few days, but most days I struggle to get past 8,000 steps. I will continue to aim to hit my daily target of 10,000 steps. Going for long walks and jogging helps me hit the easily so I will be doing more of that when I can.
Apart from daily steps, I will also continue my Fitness Blender workout on YouTube. The feeling after a good work out is heavenly, no wonder many are addicted to working out. Besides the amazing feeling and what it does to my body, I am more productive after a good work out session or after a good jog.
Many self-employed people work from home, and hardly get the time to go out, which is so bad for their health. The first step in self-care is to have daily exercise, and get out of the house some more.
Diet
Sometimes I can work for 4 hours straight without stopping to take a drink of water. Many times, I skip a meal while working. This is sad but it is the reality for many self-employed people. The hustle is real, and it is a jungle out there, but food and water should not be forgotten because of work. Our diet plays a major role in our health and state of mind, so we all have to pay attention to it. Eating small portions of food and drinking regularly is the way forward.
Regular Breaks
Taking regular breaks while working is needed. Usually, I find myself working on the couch for hours at a stretch with no breaks. This is horrible for my health and productivity. I find that when I do take regular breaks, I achieve a lot more and I feel better too. So I could write a post for an hour, then do some household chores for 20 minutes that involves moving around the house, and then send some emails for another 30 minutes. Regular breaks with some activity helps greatly.
Beauty Sleep
I have written a few times about the importance of having our beauty sleep, but I need to take my own advice a bit more. I don’t sleep as many hours as I should, and that has to change. A good night sleep almost guarantees a good day, so it is important we get sleep for as many hours as we need to be productive.
Having power naps during the day also work for some but it doesn’t for me. It makes me feel weird for a good few hours when I wake from a power nap, so I only have 1 if I had no bad night, up with the kids, and so on.
Schedule Some ‘Me’ Time
Scheduling some ‘me’ time is so important for our well-being and I rarely schedule time just for myself, but going forward, I am going to start scheduling some time regularly just for myself. We all need some time to cool off and recharge our batteries, doing what we love to do.
How are you? How do you look after yourself?
