We don’t know who needs to hear this, but self-care is necessary if you want to live a healthy life. The busy lives we lead, filled with fast-paced hustle and bustle, can inhibit the body’s ability to recover. When this is your day-to-day experience, it’s safe to say that you will eventually burn out and develop unhealthy habits. Let’s change that for the upcoming New Year and practice ways to restore the body and mind.
Self-care practices help you become present, allowing you to experience the moment in a more relaxed and aware state. When it comes to self-care activities, though, penciling them into your schedule is half the battle. If you don’t dedicate time to practice self-care, it is safe to bet that your efforts will fall by the wayside and you can kiss those feelings of rejuvenation and mindfulness goodbye.
The beauty of self-care is that it is extremely personal, meaning that it can be as simple as putting on a face mask, getting some fresh air, or taking a dance class. What you choose to do is up to you, but here are five of our favorite self-care practices that you may want to adopt in 2020.
Remember: There’s no wrong choice. Whatever feels right in the moment is the best self-care activity you can do.
Use All Of Your Senses
It’s safe to say that our sight and touch senses are extremely over stimulated, but we don’t typically engage the sense of smell. Aromatherapy may be one of the best self-care practices to adopt, due to the brain stimulating benefits of inhaling essential oils. Take time to stop and smell the oils, not the roses in this case, to give yourself a break and to possibly boost your mood. To start you off, some of the best essential oils to purchase are lavender, peppermint, and rose. You can drop them in a bath or place some in a diffuser to uplift the self and promote feelings of relaxation.
Make Art
Art is a freeing exercise that allows you to express your creative side, and the great thing is that it doesn’t matter whether you are good or not. Perhaps you used to take art classes in high school and want to recapture that feeling of putting paint to canvas or using a chisel and hammer to carve a bowl. Enroll in a ceramics class, head to a paint night, assemble a succulent terrarium, start drawing, or take time to journal your feelings every day. Free your mind and let go of tension.
Get Some Fresh Air
We understand that it’s a little chilly in some regions, but regularly experiencing the outside world can have a beautiful and transformative experience on the self. You don’t have to walk around the neighborhood or go for a morning jog; rather, you can get your hands dirty by harnessing your inner gardener. Return to the earth and ground yourself by planting a vegetable or flower garden. Plots and dirt are affordable and many online tutorials can instruct you on how to garden successfully. Alternatively, getting fresh air may mean that you head to a nearby river with the family and cast out lines to catch fish. Whatever you do, care for the self by going outdoors.
Pick Up A New Hobby
The upcoming decade should inspire you to invite new and exciting experiences into your life. If there’s a hobby that you don’t care about anymore, consider dropping it and focusing your efforts on something new that you’ve always wanted to try. It can be as simple as scrapbooking or as challenging as a ballet class. You don’t have to invest your whole self into the new hobby, but don’t let the limitations of the past dictate your New Year’s habits. Embrace the new and do what you love!
Try Mindfulness Techniques
The beauty of the modern era we live in is that so many mindfulness techniques are easily accessible and simple to practice, wherever and whenever. You can listen to guided meditation on your lunch break via an app or online videos. Yoga classes or Tai Chi groups in the park can establish more awareness of your breath, contributing to a better mind/body connection. While the New Year brings excitement and joy, don’t forget that self-care is all about slowing down and releasing tension, so don’t overdo it.
