When we think of self-care, we often think about the indulging activities we can do to feel better. These might include taking a bubble bath, binging your favorite Netflix show, taking the day off, and getting take-out from your favorite restaurant. Unfortunately, we often cannot participate in these daily indulging self-care methods.
Self-care isn’t always indulging activities.
In fact, self-care includes the mundane activities that you do to take care of yourself on a daily basis.
The following are the top ten self-care activities you can do daily to help prevent burnout and ensure you are taking care of yourself.
1. Brush your teeth.
Dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice daily. Sometimes, poor mental health days make it hard to brush your teeth. So, aim for at least once daily brushing and flossing your teeth. As an individual with particularly soft enamel, I recommend saving for and purchasing an electric toothbrush. The Sonicare toothbrush is the one I use as it has a timer built in, so I am sure to brush my teeth for the recommended 2 minutes. After brushing my teeth, I floss and then use ACT mouthwash.
2. Wash your face.
Not only does washing your face help prevent breakouts, but it can also help you feel better about yourself. I recommend setting up a morning and night routine to help you maintain your skincare and oral hygiene. As an individual with oily skin, I recommend washing with CeraVe’s acne cream cleanser in the morning. Be sure to use a white washcloth though, as it will bleach your washcloths and towels. I follow up my morning wash with Cliniques gel moisturizer and CeraVe’s SPF 30 daily lotion. Using a moisturizer with SPF 30 is good self-care. At night, I wash my face with CeraVe’s foaming cleanser for oily skin. I follow it up with CeraVe’s eye cream and night lotion.
3. Take a shower.
You don’t need to wash your hair every day, but taking a nice warm shower before you go to bed is shown to increase your oxytocin levels. Oxytocin is the cuddle drug, as it is the brain’s hormone released when hugging and cuddling with others (including pets). It is also the body’s natural defense against cortisol (the body’s stress hormone). A hot shower before bed is proven to lower your stress level and help you fall asleep faster.
4. Drink water.
It is good self-care to get the appropriate amount of water needed per day. This is not necessarily 8 cups or one gallon. In fact, one gallon of water might be too much for you if you are eating a lot of fruits and veggies with high water content. According to nutritionists, half your weight in ounces is the recommended water intake. For example, I weigh 130 pounds, so I need to drink 65 ounces of water daily. Now, for me personally, this does happen to be 8 cups of water, but for you, it might be less, or it might be more.
5. Make your bed first thing in the morning.
As cliche as this one is, making your bed first thing in the morning is the easiest way to start the day with a task completed. If that is all you do during the day, you have at least accomplished something. Accomplishing a task first thing in the morning is an easy way to jump-start the motivation to complete other tasks no matter how big or small they may be. After making your bed, you may feel motivated to start a laundry load or finish the dishes in the sink. No matter how much motivation it brings on, at least you did one task for the day.
6. Eat some fruit.
Eating fruit during the day is a great way to add to your daily self-care. Fruit contains essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs and they help you build up the necessary ingredients for neurotransmitters and hormones that you need to feel good (like serotonin and dopamine).
7. Eat some vegetables.
Eating vegetables is an additional way to add to your daily self-care. Veggies also contain essential vitamins and minerals, which are important for neurotransmitters and hormones that you need to feel good.
8. Go for a walk.
Take 10-15 minutes to go for a walk outside (unless the weather is too bad). Feel the heat (or cold) on your skin. Take in the fresh air and allow yourself to just be one with your surroundings.
9. Stretch.
A recent study showed that stretching builds muscles like weight lifting, so if the gym seems too big of a task, take 20 minutes to stretch all your muscles. Your body and your brain will thank you.
10. Take breaks.
Don’t forget to take breaks during your work day. If you are just working at home, take breaks like you would in the office. It is important to let your mind rest.
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