9 Simple ways to establish a self-care routine

Taking care of your mental and physical health intentionally is self-care.

Self care helps to:

• Reduce stress
• Increase happiness
• Increase energy level
• Improve concentration
• Communicate effectively
• Help in anger management
• Improve overall quality of life
• Help make better decisions through the day
• Minimize frustration with everything around you
• Reduce and even eliminate anxiety and depression

Self-care should not be an optional activity, which you do when you have time and the inclination. It should be a priority to ensure that you live a happy, healthy and successful life. As per your own definition of all these three parameters.

In case you are wondering how to start, here are 9 things you can start doing today to establish your self-care routine.

Meditate or sit quietly with yourself at least 10 minutes every day

Okay, maybe start with 5 minutes. But fix a time and a place, and do it every day. And yes, it need not be morning only; whenever you have the time daily, do it. Wanting to do it only in the morning adds another layer of friction.

In case you are wondering how long it will take you to form the habit of sitting down to meditate, James Clear has an interesting article on building new habits.

But meditation is not like any other habit, so give it longer. And once you are able to meditate for 5 minutes, increase it to 10, and so on.

Eat nutritious meals at regular intervals

If your meal times are highly irregular and dictated by other “more important“ things, you are doing a great disservice to yourself. Eating irregularly and unhealthy food can lead to physical as well as mental ailments.

In case you are wondering how not eating properly can affect your health, read all about it here, here and here. You can experience higher stress levels, get obese and contract chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes.

Stay hydrated

Our body is 60% water and we need to keep replenishing this water throughout the day. Experts say that 8 to 12 glasses of water per day does the trick.

Of course, if the temperature is higher or humidity is higher and you are sweating more, drink more water.

And mind you, when I say water I mean water. Any fluid will not do. Other fluids like juices and fruits can be in addition to the daily water, not in place of.

Get enough sleep during the night and relaxation during the day

Your sleep should be a priority and not incidental. Aim to get enough sleep. Here is a dipstick. If you cool down after your exercise by lying down on the mat and closing your eyes, how likely are you to feel drowsy or fall asleep?

and during the day, do a relaxing activity when you are feeling stressed out.

It totally depends upon you what that relaxing activity is. It could be a long walk, talking to someone, reading a few pages of a book, listening to the music without doing anything else, playing with your pet, playing with your kids, people watching in the nearest mall or Park, etc.

Set happiness goals and prioritize them over everything else

Volunteering and giving your time to others has health benefits, but it should come after you have met your own mental, emotional and psychological needs.

We spend so much time during the day doing things that are important to others but don’t move the needle for us personally. You need to change that.

Am I sounding selfish? Excellent. Because that is the intention.

The way we are conditioned since childhood, we tend to put our own physical and emotional needs on the backburner. Sometimes we even feel guilty for wanting something purely for ourselves.

But the hectic modern lifestyle demands that we be intentional about our own happiness. Remember that if you are not physically and mentally fit, you cannot do much good for others however dear they are to you.

So prioritize your own goals over others.

Be grateful

And actively so.

Set aside five minutes of your day to think about at least five things you are grateful for and thank God or whoever else you believe is responsible for it.

Practicing gratitude actively makes you feel happy and hence affects your health positively. I feel this is because remembering happy things releases serotonin in our body, which is also the happiness hormone.

Be positive

Positivity makes us feel happy and content because we are confident and know that we can do anything that we want. This confidence boosts our morale and is also responsible for helping us achieve so many things we couldn’t have otherwise.

Stay connected

We humans are called social animals for a reason. We thrive when we are among people. Whether we are actively participating in all the activities, taking the lead in making conversations or not, we need people around us.

Stay connected with your friends and loved ones and you will automatically feel better. Even when you are generally feeling down and out.

Do regular exercise

Health experts say that you should exercise at least 30 minutes five days a week to keep yourself mentally and physically fit. This exercise could be anything from a long leisurely walk to intense gymming. As long as you keep moving and your body sweats, you are caring for it.

There is a reason why you feel full of energy and euphoric after some vigorous exercises.

Exercising releases the hormone and neurotransmitter serotonin, which is responsible for our good health and happiness levels. More the amount and frequency of serotonin released in the body, the better we feel.

Wrapping up

There are so many little things you can do to care for yourself throughout the day. But you have to make self-care your first priority before you can make it a part of your routine.

I have shared nine different ways of incorporating self-care in your routine so that you can start with at least one or two.

So what are you waiting for? Choose 1–2 of these activities and start doing them every day.