David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Too Busy?
by Chloe B, Calmer You
June 7, 2017
I remember a time when the concept of self-care was one that didn?t even cross my mind. It seemed like I always had far too much on to even think about myself, and I was always putting the needs of others in front of my own. I thought this would make me feel good, but, over time, I learned this was not a good place to be in. Once I made some changes, though, self-care became a central issue in my life. I realized time wasn?t the issue, my mindset was.
The truth is that no matter how busy you are there?ll always be opportunities for you to create time for self-care. Also, self-care activities are relative to what individuals enjoy and consider as ?pampering? themselves. But one thing remains true: having time is not the issue.
Morning Routines
We all have a morning routine, even if yours consists of jumping out of bed, getting a shower and then quickly rushing out the door to work. Since everyone does something, it makes sense to take advantage of this time as an opportunity for self-care. For example, eat a healthier breakfast, do a little exercise, meditate or write a morning journal?all these things can easily be built into what you already do in the morning, but you need to make the conscious decision to do so.
All these things don?t have to take long, and if you feel as though you don?t have the time in the mornings, there?s a simple solution. Get up earlier! This isn?t to say you should be cutting down on your sleep time to change your routine. Instead, it means making some adjustments so that you can have the time to do these things in the morning.
For example, if you think waking up 30 minutes earlier would be a death sentence because you?re already sleep-deprived, take a step back and work on getting to bed a little earlier. Think about what you do in the evening that causes you to go to bed so late, and make some changes so that you can sleep more. Record your favorite show, limit your nights out, or consider a digital detox for the last hour of the day to help you disconnect and unwind.
These changes to your nighttime routine will allow you to develop a healthier morning routine, creating a positive feedback loop where self-care is a top priority. It will be hard at first, so start small, but after some time, you will see these choices are in your best interest, and you will have no problem sticking with them.
Organize Your Lifestyle Choices
I firmly believe we control our lives and destinies through the choices and decisions we make. Therefore, you can organize and edit your lifestyle choices to care for yourself better. For example, choose to go for a run or walk instead of binge watching your favorite new series on Netflix. We?re all victim to lazing around watching TV now and again, but remember the phrase ?all in moderation.? We can still watch TV, but maybe for just an hour, not three or five.
There are obvious lifestyle choices that have a negative impact on our well-being, such as smoking and drinking too much alcohol. If you fall victim to these kinds of habits, then a great way to deepen your self-care journey would be to tackle those issues first. Quitting smoking for good can make you feel amazing and will prove to yourself that you can achieve anything to which you set your mind.
You can get proactive about the lifestyle choices you?d like to make. For example, think about taking up a new health and wellness schedule that includes meditation, exercise, mindfulness and nutritional dieting. There are plenty of self-care programs out there, so take your interests into account, and see what?s available.
Invest in Yourself
There are various ways to invest in yourself, but the commonality is that each leads you to a new and improved version of you. Investing in yourself can mean many things, such as saying ?no? once in a while to other people. Quite often self-care means being conscious of your limits and being firm to others asking you to stretch them.
Don?t be afraid to pamper yourself, too. Why shouldn?t you spend the extra amount to source your favorite food, drink, bath salts and so on? Letting go of past conditioning and thinking you can?t take extra care of yourself is truly liberating. Obviously, stay within your budget, but don?t be afraid to spend extra on things that will truly help you. If you don?t think you can afford these things, take a look at your bank statements from the past few months. You will likely find money spent on things not in your best interest which can easily be redirected to improving your personal wellbeing.
For me, the investment came from meditation apps. I find it difficult to meditate without being guided, so I use Headspace, which is a popular mindfulness meditation app. There are various other apps on the market in the self-care industry, though it?s worth mentioning that I always use a secure connection with these types of personalized apps because they often require entering personal information or location services.
What could you invest in that would make you feel more calm, relaxed and peaceful in your everyday life? Could it be a weekly massage? Sporting activities with friends? A monthly weekend away? Find something that will make you feel great, and don?t be afraid to splurge.
In general, I believe we all have time for self-care. By editing your morning routine, making better lifestyle choices and investing in yourself, you can start to put you first, and this will allow you to feel happier and better about yourself. Remember, your choices and decisions sculpt your lifestyle; self-care is in your own hands.
by Chloe B, Calmer You
June 7, 2017
I remember a time when the concept of self-care was one that didn?t even cross my mind. It seemed like I always had far too much on to even think about myself, and I was always putting the needs of others in front of my own. I thought this would make me feel good, but, over time, I learned this was not a good place to be in. Once I made some changes, though, self-care became a central issue in my life. I realized time wasn?t the issue, my mindset was.
The truth is that no matter how busy you are there?ll always be opportunities for you to create time for self-care. Also, self-care activities are relative to what individuals enjoy and consider as ?pampering? themselves. But one thing remains true: having time is not the issue.
Morning Routines
We all have a morning routine, even if yours consists of jumping out of bed, getting a shower and then quickly rushing out the door to work. Since everyone does something, it makes sense to take advantage of this time as an opportunity for self-care. For example, eat a healthier breakfast, do a little exercise, meditate or write a morning journal?all these things can easily be built into what you already do in the morning, but you need to make the conscious decision to do so.
All these things don?t have to take long, and if you feel as though you don?t have the time in the mornings, there?s a simple solution. Get up earlier! This isn?t to say you should be cutting down on your sleep time to change your routine. Instead, it means making some adjustments so that you can have the time to do these things in the morning.
For example, if you think waking up 30 minutes earlier would be a death sentence because you?re already sleep-deprived, take a step back and work on getting to bed a little earlier. Think about what you do in the evening that causes you to go to bed so late, and make some changes so that you can sleep more. Record your favorite show, limit your nights out, or consider a digital detox for the last hour of the day to help you disconnect and unwind.
These changes to your nighttime routine will allow you to develop a healthier morning routine, creating a positive feedback loop where self-care is a top priority. It will be hard at first, so start small, but after some time, you will see these choices are in your best interest, and you will have no problem sticking with them.
Organize Your Lifestyle Choices
I firmly believe we control our lives and destinies through the choices and decisions we make. Therefore, you can organize and edit your lifestyle choices to care for yourself better. For example, choose to go for a run or walk instead of binge watching your favorite new series on Netflix. We?re all victim to lazing around watching TV now and again, but remember the phrase ?all in moderation.? We can still watch TV, but maybe for just an hour, not three or five.
There are obvious lifestyle choices that have a negative impact on our well-being, such as smoking and drinking too much alcohol. If you fall victim to these kinds of habits, then a great way to deepen your self-care journey would be to tackle those issues first. Quitting smoking for good can make you feel amazing and will prove to yourself that you can achieve anything to which you set your mind.
You can get proactive about the lifestyle choices you?d like to make. For example, think about taking up a new health and wellness schedule that includes meditation, exercise, mindfulness and nutritional dieting. There are plenty of self-care programs out there, so take your interests into account, and see what?s available.
Invest in Yourself
There are various ways to invest in yourself, but the commonality is that each leads you to a new and improved version of you. Investing in yourself can mean many things, such as saying ?no? once in a while to other people. Quite often self-care means being conscious of your limits and being firm to others asking you to stretch them.
Don?t be afraid to pamper yourself, too. Why shouldn?t you spend the extra amount to source your favorite food, drink, bath salts and so on? Letting go of past conditioning and thinking you can?t take extra care of yourself is truly liberating. Obviously, stay within your budget, but don?t be afraid to spend extra on things that will truly help you. If you don?t think you can afford these things, take a look at your bank statements from the past few months. You will likely find money spent on things not in your best interest which can easily be redirected to improving your personal wellbeing.
For me, the investment came from meditation apps. I find it difficult to meditate without being guided, so I use Headspace, which is a popular mindfulness meditation app. There are various other apps on the market in the self-care industry, though it?s worth mentioning that I always use a secure connection with these types of personalized apps because they often require entering personal information or location services.
What could you invest in that would make you feel more calm, relaxed and peaceful in your everyday life? Could it be a weekly massage? Sporting activities with friends? A monthly weekend away? Find something that will make you feel great, and don?t be afraid to splurge.
In general, I believe we all have time for self-care. By editing your morning routine, making better lifestyle choices and investing in yourself, you can start to put you first, and this will allow you to feel happier and better about yourself. Remember, your choices and decisions sculpt your lifestyle; self-care is in your own hands.
