Everyone believes that they have to follow a given path to be happy, secure, and well set up in their golden years. In a nutshell, people often think that they need to get into a good college, choose a major with a stable job outlook, then find employment immediately after graduation. The fact of the matter is that life doesn’t work the way that you plan for it. You might go into a field and find out that you hate it after putting four or more years of study into an advanced degree.
Automation and technology are making it hard for some people who have been established in their careers for decades to hold onto any sense of job security. Because of this, some people are freeing themselves from the working world altogether. And, they are doing so without risking their financial future. Here are good ideas for earning an income that doesn’t involve working traditionally.
Creating Your Own Company
When the average person contemplates starting up a business, they think about needing to apply for various business loans and credits cards and perhaps find others who will invest in their companies. Yes, some businesses cannot be launched without $10,000, $100,000, or even $1,000,000 in seed money
If you are looking to be free from the working world, you don’t need to have much cash at all. You can become an entrepreneur and make a name for yourself as an independent risk taker. Doing so will allow you to write books on your successes, work wherever you want in the world, and know your career will be long-lasting. Company owners typically need to hire only the best to work for them. So, you will need to find a staffing agency that can be of assistance.
Entrepreneurs, business owners, and other busy professionals can significantly benefit from TruPath’s executive search firm. At TruPath, you will match with only the best workers in your field. This Ensures that you are always able to use your time wisely.
So, create a company of your own and stop working traditionally. You will ultimately have all of the freedom that you want without having to feel insecure about retirement. Create your benefits, perks, and rewards by owning a business. ess.
Becoming a Consultant
Working as a consultant will take out of the traditional workforce in a few different ways. Number one, consultants choose what specific arm of business they want to enter. So, if you worked as an accountant, you can become a consultant to small businesses. As a consultant you would educating them on balancing their books, building business credit, and doing their taxes. Consultants are independent, well paid, and capable of turning a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’ every time.
Turning Yourself into a Brand
Those who excel at what they do, also tend to sell themselves short. For instance, you might be an incredibly skilled cook whose friends are always asking for recipes and cooking tips. You may be modest about your abilities and would not seriously consider using your talents to earn a full-time income. A person can be highly creative, yet think that they could never sell their creations or teach others. Whether you turn yourself into a brand via a blog or a cable access television show, you only need to do what you do best. In doing your best, you can free yourself from the working world.
Being independent requires you to be a free thinker. While doing things traditionally is fine, you have established that your way can work just as well. So, become a small owner, a consultant, realize your dreams as an entrepreneur, or do all of the above and turn yourself into a major brand.
This post is a collaborative post. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I may receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.ere.
In the winter it can be very difficult to motivate yourself and to practice self-care. The dreary and cold weather has a negative effect on many people. If you are anything like me, the cold winter season can plummet your enjoyment and leave you very physically uncomfortable. Does any of this seem familiar to you? If so, check out these 6 ways to take care of yourself in the winter!
Get Some Sun
I know it can sometimes be difficult to get some sun in an
often very gloomy winter season. However, on the days where there IS sunlight,
be sure to open the blinds or take a walk in it! Sunlight is so good for you
and can easily lift your mood! If you are struggling in the gloom, try checking
out sunlight lamps or happy lamps!
Take A Bath
In many places, winter is a very cold season. Getting warm can sometimes be really difficult. If you’ve spent a lot of time outside, thawing can be just as difficult as staying warm. A bath is a perfect way to warm up quickly, relax your muscles, spend some time with yourself, and get some reading or Instagram scrolling done. Don’t have a bath? Spend some extra time in the shower or up the heat!
Have a Positive Mindset
I know that this one can be sometimes difficult. But if you
are actively seeking the good and the positive side to the dreary season, the
dreariness may not affect you as heavily. Being positive not only brightens
your own mood, but it also has the
potential to help out
those around you!
Get Out and Socialize
When we are feeling down, or the weather has dampened our mood, we have a tendency to seclude ourselves and to avoid going out. One way you can take care of yourself is to fight those urges and to get out and socialize.
Find A Hobby This Winter
Wintertime often keeps us indoors, unable to spend too much
time outside. This leads to a lot more
boredom and free time. Finding an indoor,
wintertime hobby can make so much of a difference! Some great ideas for winter
hobbies include
Don’t think that the cold weather and gloomy feel of winter means that you can’t have fun. You can still do
things that are enjoyable. In fact, I encourage you to seek out enjoying
activities and keep participating in them during the cold season. If you can
keep yourself in a positive mood and mindset, winter wont seem so bad.
Self-care is always important but is especially important in the winter-time.
If you love these 6 winter self-care ideas, check out 101 ways to practice self-care!
College life
is a mixture of fun, hardship, trouble, and anything in between. Many
adventures can take place in the span of years you spent on the tertiary level.
Moreover, although you can huddle over these things, you should still not miss
the part where you have to take care of yourself.
Any college student can are susceptible to being stressed and perplexed. Even the brightest ones can experience the horrors of academic pressures. Your physical and mental health can be challenged in this particular phase of your life. So, if I were you, I would learn these five quick self-care tips for college students.
This post was written by Layla Parker.
Get Some Sleep
Most college
people are quite overwhelmed by a series of deadlines. Each subject can give
you a horrifying experience of chasing backlogs on a daily basis. Of course, this
doesn’t include the impulsive quizzes and exams that you have to prepare.
Otherwise, you’ll get a sure “F.”
To prevent
such horrid predicament, a typical college student would burn his nights away
from studying. Sleeping is discarded because grades are more important than it.
However, is that the case? Well, that’s
a big NO.
You see, your
systems won’t function if it can relish adequate rest. Certain
proofs indicate that sleep deprivation can make you dumb. As a student,
being dunce is the last thing that you want to do.
Please take the opportunity to sleep whenever it is possible. Make sure that your sleeping environment is friendly as well. A mattress at the right price can immediately improve the conduciveness of your bedroom.
Surround Yourself With Positive Folks
In college,
you will eventually learn that not all people are worth keeping. Not all souls
you meet are there to stay in your life. Although you might see it as something
harsh and bitter, that’s the truth.
There are a
variety of reasons why this social sequestering happens. Sometimes, it is
because these people are not just suited for your life. They might come as a
burden or nuisance that you don’t want to deal with. Moreover, if you deem it
that way, then don’t hesitate to let them go.
You see, you
have to keep yourself afloat at all times when you are in college. You don’t
need stresses and strains from other people. Your academics are more than an
ordeal. Therefore, see to it that your circle brings positive vibes.
Eat Healthily
College is
the peak of liberation. You are no longer restrained your parents to the things
that you want to do. Of course, this means that you are already free to get
crazy with those booze and other concoctions.
However, if
you are seriously looking for a way to improve your welfare and survivability,
you have to avoid consuming alcohol, cigarettes, and other harmful substances.
At best, what you can do is to eat
delicious and healthy foods. Fruits and veggies can never be overrated.
Having a
healthy meal make you physically and mentally fit. It also makes your body
impermeable to common illnesses such as flu and cold. For a college student, a
healthy state of mind and body is already a treasure.
Keep a “Me” Time
Not all the time you need to socialize with other people, especially in college. I was very aloof in college, despite having a set of friends that I get shy with. I just find solitude as a way to relax and gather my composure.
Of course,
this doesn’t mean that I would lock up in my apartment and stay there as a
bummer. Instead, I give myself a five or ten-minute break without anyone
bothering me. The moments that I spent in solitude are vital because they gave
me a room to motivate and inspire myself.
Leave the Campus
No. I am not
saying that you need to drop your degree and slack off. We are not made to be
quitters. Sometimes, the best way to relieve us from overload and stress is to
set our feet away from the premises of our schools.
Except for
exceptional institutions, many colleges today have an ambiance that is quite pressuring. Of course, being kept on such
environment for extended periods will affect your mental and emotional health.
Have a break!
Go to your favorite shops or go to the
beach so that you can feel the fresh breeze. If not, you can go on a refreshing
hike instead. Doing these leisure activities will set your mood anew.
Wrapping it Up
Your college
life is crucial. It is the one that determines if you can have a decent chance
of surviving in the outside world. However, despite its given importance, no
college students should ever waste and kill their lives just to have a degree.
You need to
have a break. You need to care for yourself, too. There are very means that can
help you succeed in the end part of your compulsory education.
That’s it for
now. If you have questions or suggestions, drop them in the comment section
below!
My name is Layla Parker, the founder of ASleepyWolf.com. At this site, our team is going to bring you a lot of reliable and useful information about sleeping and everything related to it such as the therapies that improve your sleep, the ways of sleeping you should try, all the products you use every day that affects directly to your sleep, your health, and your life.
Most of us have
something that we don’t like about ourselves, which can greatly affect our
self-esteem. This can lead to us feeling more insecure, depressed,
self-conscious and impact our overall quality of life. Changing the way we see
ourselves takes time, but it can be done.
Here are some ways to feel better in your body.
Avoid Negative Environments
If you realize that
social media makes you feel bad, try to minimize the amount of time you spend there.
Moreover, you can also block or mute people that make you feel down about
yourself. In case you want to take it a step further and take control of your life, do a social media cleanse and delete all those apps from your phone
for a few days.
Additionally, if there
is a billboard on your way to work that is harmful to your mental health, try
to find another route to work. If you notice that the shows you follow send a
bad message, look for something else to watch. You can also use an ad-blocker
in your browser to avoid those annoying pop-ups.
Surround Yourself with Positive People
Just like you should
avoid negativity in the media, you should also do it in your personal life. If
any of your friends make you feel worse about yourself, consider whether they
are actually your friends. Minimize the time you spend together and see if you
feel better after a while.
It is much easier to
accept yourself and your body when the people around you accept you for who you
are. That is why it’s so important to surround yourself with supportive and
positive people.
Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
Another thing to keep
in mind is that everyone has a part of their body that makes them feel bad.
Even Rihanna struggles with body image, can you believe it? Well, you should. Realizing that nobody is perfect
will help you on the path to self-love.
This is precisely why you
have to stop comparing yourself to other people. You might think that your best
friend has the perfect legs or arms, but maybe they are thinking the same about
you. Talk to other people, and you will
see that we all feel bad about something. Maybe you even get a compliment about
a part of your body that you hate.
Find Things You Like About Yourself
Don’t just shrug off
compliments, accept them. This can be a great confidence boost; however, you
need to realize that confidence comes from within.
This is a great reason
to write down things you like about yourself. Make a list and revisit it every
time you feel down about your body image. As your self-esteem grows, you’ll be
adding more things to the list until you finally accept yourself as a whole.
Stay Active And Healthy
Physical activity
helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Exercise can even improve
your confidence as it releases feel-good brain chemicals. If you are a
beginner, try to find a personal trainer who will be able to create the perfect
workout plan for you.
Keep in mind that the
food you eat also plays a crucial role in staying healthy. Stay hydrated by
drinking at least eight glasses of water every day and always drink water
before your meals as that will decrease your hunger. On the other hand, make
sure you intake enough calories as well. While exercising, many people also use
supplements. For a beginner, making a protein shake is probably the easiest way
to go, so you should look for some of the best whey protein
powders
that will help you achieve your goals.
Do Something For Yourself
Doing something nice for yourself is vital for feeling better. Keep your Sunday schedule free and relax in a bubble bath, take a long nap or book a massage. Choosing only healthy beauty products will assure you that you are not harming your body. Look for clothing that makes you feel beautiful. If you can’t find anything that you like in stores, talk to a tailor. We should feel comfortable in our clothes as that can help us feel comfortable in our skin.
Going on a vacation
can be a great learning experience. Exploring the world and traveling
often
will help you realize that we come in all shapes and sizes. Seeing the
diversity among the people will lead to having a better opinion of yourself.
Accepting your body as
it is is a process, and it can take time.
However, the most important thing is not giving up. Take it a day at a time, and you will definitely see an improvement.
Like Jonathan Van Ness says, “You are strong, you’re a Kelly Clarkson
song, you’ve got this.”
Every working woman knows it’s impossible to have it all: a fulfilling career, a tidy home, good sleeping routine, social life, and flawless looks. It gets even harder when there are little ones in the picture. But it’s possible to have nearly all – if you’re being smart with your time and value good organization. There is no need for your beauty ritual to suffer. Here are some tips on how to conquer time in order to look like the goddess you are.
Enter the Two Minute Rule
We know you’re organized and have at least one detailed bullet journal. But even the best among us
sometimes just feel they need a break. And that break is well deserved! To make
it last longer, incorporate the simple, but powerful two-minute rule. If
anything can be done in under two minutes, do it now. Hang the coat. Put your
workout gear in the laundry. Wash the coffee mug. Toss the papers you don’t
need. If you live by this rule, you’ll need less time for cleaning and doing
boring stuff; and that leaves a good chunk for a beauty ritual of your choice.
Have Fun in the Shower
So you take a shower every day. Why not save time by also applying face cleanser while waiting for the hair removal cream to work its magic? Or brush your teeth in the shower? (Just don’t leave your toothbrush there – it’s way too damp.) You can even get some of those shower creams that also function as an in-shower moisturizer, which doubles the effect and cuts time in half. Brilliant!
Get Something Permanent
Sometimes the mornings are so rushed that you simply just
don’t have the time for applying makeup. But it doesn’t mean you should rock
your #IWokeUpLikeThis face in the office if you don’t want to! Tattooed
eyebrows are becoming more and more natural-looking, so no fear that you’ll end
up on a quirky website because you look like you’re constantly in awe. If you
like emphasizing your eyelashes, eyelash extension deals are something worth
considering. No makeup and no time needed for retouches of mascara, but the
effect is there (and it’s long lasting). For those who make minimal changes in
their everyday look, it’s even possible to get a permanent eyeshadow or a
lipstick, so why not think about that too?
Make Masks Work for You
If you’ve already oversimplified your beauty routine, you certainly don’t have the time for elaborate masking. But it doesn’t mean your face should miss all the goodies! There are plenty of good overnight masks on the market – splatter, go to bed, and that’s it! While you sleep, nutrients and vitamins will make your skin smooth, supple and glowing, no additional time needed!
Get Wonderful Hair Overnight
You can do the same thing with coconut oil on your hair – but only if you know you’ll be washing your hair in the morning. Don’t forget to use a plastic bag to keep the heat in and save your pillow from the grease. Coconut oil is generally great for all types of hair, so a few treatments in, you’ll realize that you don’t need to go for expensive treatments in the salon. Both time and money saver is always a plus in our book!
Let Others Take Care of Your Nails
Unfortunately, it’s still considered
almost rude in the corporate world if your nails aren’t polished. But anybody
who keeps their home organized and types on a computer on a daily basis knows
that even the best brands don’t last more than 3-4 days. Removing and polishing
again can be such a time waste sometimes! So why not try the gel manicure, that
lasts for weeks? Sure, depending on how fast your nails grow, sometimes it can
look a bit ugly, but after having done it two or three times, you’ll know
exactly when the time for the next visit is. Still a huge time saver!
Grab Some Time with an Attitude Change
What would you say if someone offered you an extra hour every day? We know there would be some squeaking with excitement! And it’s totally possible if you change your attitude about your hair. We’re not saying ditch the shampoo and go greasy! But what you can do is love your hair for what it is, and skip the blow-dry every day or every other day. It does make hair prettier, but not that much prettier than it’s worth the extra time and effort. Now, what can you do with the extra hour?
Looking for perfection is stupid and stressful. But when there are tips on making the most of your day and using it for something you like, why not use them? A woman who feels good in her skin will make effort in all the other areas of her life as well. And we don’t mean feeling good just about the looks.
Meet the Author
The author of this post is Audrey Taylor. Audrey was born in San Francisco and moved to Adelaide at the age of five. Marketer researcher and social media manager on hold, full – time mommy of a cheerful two-year-old. Graduated from Queensford college, worked in a couple of marketing agencies across Australia, eager to learn more about business and share her experiences. Traveled across Europe. Her hobbies include home decorating, fashion, travel, music, old movies. Learn more here.
Have you ever heard of retail therapy? It’s not a legitimate therapy, but retail therapy is the act of shopping to make you feel good. This post is meant to spark discussion on whether or not retail therapy can be considered a legitimate form of self-care. Additionally, If you read to the end you will even find a $100 gift code giveaway, be sure not to miss out on that! This post is sponsored by JORD Watches.
The Discussion | Is Retail Therapy Self-Care?
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of retail therapy, retail therapy, according to the Urban Dictionary, is considered “The act of shopping as an outlet for frustration and a reliever of stress.” As someone who is working toward a counseling degree with a focus on addictions, I am reluctant to promote shopping as self-care because of the potential negative impacts of shopping addiction. For that reason, I want it to be clear, shopping addiction is different in that shopping is constantly on the shopper’s mind and is done more often and in greater quantities than is sustainable. Addiction implies that the addict is no longer functioning. That differs from retail therapy because shopping as a form of self-care and stress-relief is done far less frequently and is not that person’s main outlet. Additionally, it is sustainable.
Retail Therapy Ideas
Now that we know the difference between shopping addiction and shopping as self-care, here are some great ways to shop for self-care:
Buy a new fragrance each month
Buy a new outfit that makes you feel beautiful
Shop for your home
Buy something nice for a loved one
Buy new skincare or makeup products
Get something you want but don’t view as a necessity
Buy a movie you’ve been dying to see
My Opinion | Do I Shop for Self-Care?
Do I shop as a form of self-care? Yes and no. For me, it is not the act of shopping that is therapeutic. Usually, when I am doing some retail therapy, I am buying houseplants or furniture online. What makes shopping therapeutic for me is planning my home and then opening the package and adding the new item to that perfect place. As someone who does practice retail therapy, I recommend setting a budget if you plan on taking part in shopping for self-care. This way, you are sure you can afford to do the shopping and are less likely to overspend.
JORD Watch Giveaway!
This post is sponsored by JORD Watches! Jord has offered to
give $100 gift code to one of you lucky readers! Not only does one person get
the $100, but everyone else gets 10% Jord Watches. This giveaway is open until Sep
30, 2018, at 11:59pm so be sure to enter the giveaway now!
>>I have 2 Jord watches, and I absolutely LOVE them! The one I have pictured above is the Frankie – Dark Sandalwood
& Emerald. This watch is made with natural dark sandalwood that is
hand finished and pretreated with tung oils as well as sapphire crystal glass.
>>The other watch I have is the Cassia – Zebra and Ivory. You can check out more about this
watch, and read my previous post here.
What do you think, is retail therapy legitimate self-care? What do you
buy that is therapeutic for you? Let us know in the comments below!
Reconnecting with ourselves is not always easy. For someone, it can mean solitude and listening to your inner needs and desires. For other ones, it means expressing your creativity. If you have troubles understand and finding yourself, art therapy can help you explore your inner world. The visual arts have the power to obtain access to the hidden parts of ourselves, and allow is to activate your emotions and the intuitive parts of your body. When you need to express feelings in a safe way, there is no better way to do it than creating art.
The following techniques are meant for everyone to try, and they don’t require talent or ability to draw. These art therapy activities will work if you are honest with yourself and if you give yourself the permission to experiment and explore your inner self. Creating art without any emotional constraints will reconnect you to the playfulness you had as a child. It will reconnect you to your intuitive self without judgment. And in today’s world, that is a bit of something all of us need.
Scribble Drawing
Scribble drawing is a great way to warm up. Simply take a piece of paper and a pencil or a brush, close your eyes and move it as you wish. When you think you have filled most of the page, open your eyes and look at the shapes which you have created. Look the page from different angles. Try to imagine a scene into your drawing. Take colors and other materials to transform those messy shapes and lines into a scene. Once you are finished, you should also give it a title. Think about the piece you have created. What does it say? Is there a lesson that you need to hear?
Illustrate a Mandala
Mandalas have been used in the art of different cultures for centuries, and they often represent either the universe or wholeness. Creating a mandala is a mindful process of self-expression that can help you integrate both of your conscious and unconscious. The process of drawing mandalas is also very satisfying and relaxing. Therefore it can relieve stress and anxiety.
Create a Self-Portrait
Creating a self-portrait doesn’t mean you have to draw yourself. Take images from magazines, or use clay and paint. Your artwork doesn’t have to resemble you at all, but all the images, colors and shapes you implement into the piece should be somehow significant to you. When you are done, give your self-portrait a title and try to reflect on it. Try to answer how is this portrait similar or different from you in real life.
You can also try creating a future self-portrait. When creating it, don’t worry about what it takes to become the person you want to draw. Just follow your heart’s desire, and you will discover some desires you weren’t even aware of. The piece you create should facilitate introspection.
The art you create is always a reflection of your internal state whether it’s your thoughts, longings or fears. Expressing your feelings and ideas will help you listen to them which will automatically lead to relief and fulfillment.
This post was written by Tamara. Tamara works as a contributor for MAC Fine Art. She is an art historian and a curator who in her free time loves writing, visiting museums, and binge-watching Netflix.
Our lives will always have difficulties that others may never understand. We should never forget that even though others may want to reach out to us and help us, the only person who can ever care more about you is yourself: self-care.
To take care of ourselves, we have to know what it is we should be focusing on. In this mini-guide, we look at the 7 essential tips that can help you be the best version of you to tackle life’s great difficulties.
1. Express Yourself Freely Through Writing
Sometimes we need a healthy outlet for our overwhelming emotions. Other times, we want to entertain some thoughts, bounce new ideas, and plan our life.
Journaling gives us a chance to listen and think to ourselves. As a tool, it allows us to speak our minds without the influence of social norms, criticism, or judgment. Deliberate writing has shown a positive effect on reducing anxious feelings and depression. It’s why we see this method repeatedly preached as one of the great ways to relieve stress and practice self-care.
You can learn more about journaling and how you can start one on the URMC website.
2. Enjoy the Sunshine and Fresh Outdoor Air
Without movement, there is no life. We should always be on the go so our bodies can stay active and our minds can be well. The body needs exercise to keep itself healthy and happy.
Simply walking outdoor can provide a lot of benefits to both your physical and mental well-being. You can adopt an outdoor activity like hiking and sailing to make life a little more interesting.
Learn more about walking and exercise, visit HelpGuide.org.
3. Sleep Well and Sleep Consistently
When we aren’t taking good care of ourselves, sleep is usually one of the first things to go out the window. Our sleep is unsurprisingly tied to many aspects of our lives.
When we throw our sleep out the window, we also throw our internal clocks out of sync. We might need the next day or the entire week to get back to our normal selves.
If we sleep well, we can better control our mood and emotions, remember things better, and it also plays a large role in our physical recover as the body makes repairs during this time of rest. Getting better sleep is amazing self-care
You can learn more about sleep and the best practices of it at MySleepyFerret.
4. Eat Well and Keep Healthy Food Around
Food provides the fuel for our body and mind. It gives us the energy to get things done throughout the day. When we put the right food in our mouths, we can feel better and have the energy to accomplish what we set our minds on doing.
We can’t tell you what exactly your diet should consist of since everybody is different. Some research is necessary and speaking to your family doctor or nutritionist is important.
There are some guidelines we can use to help us think critically about what we are eating and what our eating patterns are like. According to the U.S. dietary guidelines of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, we seem to be taking in too much sodium, saturated fats, and sugars. We can also see from the charts we do not have enough intake of vegetables, fruits, and total grains.
You can also learn more about healthy eating and make a printout of a useful diagram as a reminder of eating healthy at Harvard T.H. Chan.
5. Take Care of Your Bedroom, and Home to Take Care of Yourself
Our home can be a reflection of our minds. The more cleaned, well-organized, and kept together they are, the better our minds and our feelings toward ourselves can be.
Over time, it’s easy to forget about cleaning our home, and it can get to a point where our homes can make us sick. We can fall ill due to allergies, from food poisoning, or from pollution of some sort.
Much of our lives can be out of our control. What we can control is what is in front of us, and our home is arguably the closest to something we can improve.
Clean the clutter. Organize your bedroom for cleanliness and beauty. Make your bed a place for sleep and sex. Take good care of yourself because you deserve it. At least from there, whenever we have a bad day, we can always come home to somewhere great.
For more information and insights on decluttering your home effectively, check out ZenHabits.
6. Listen to Others and Help Them When They’re in Need
We as humans are social creatures. Without love and support, we suffer terribly. When we socialize and interact with others, we learn from one another and can contribute to each other’s’ lives. The health benefits are real, especially for our mental well-being and self-care.
Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to socialize. You can use social media tools to arrange times for phone calls and meeting in person. You can also visit a local community center or join local social and hobby groups. Who knows. You might find a friend or two for life.
This might seem obvious. Sometimes we need a reminder. It’s easy to let your inhibitions and impulsiveness take ahold of your day. It’s also easy to begin eating unhealthy, sleeping late, sit in front of a computer all day, let your home become a mess, and isolate yourself socially. We know these are inherently wrong. There’s no question about it, yet somehow we lose control.
That’s ok. Dust yourself off and start doing things that make your life better. Whenever you fall off the wagon, you can ask yourself three questions:
Pick a hot spot in your life, like your relationships or career. Ask yourself where are you now?
Where do you want to be?
What obstacles might be in your way, and what can you do about them?
Asking yourself these questions (maybe in the form of a journal entry like self-care tip #1) can help you break cyclical unhelpful behaviors that make our lives a little worse each day. It also makes you think and find solutions instead of focusing on any negativity that can be holding you back.
When you start taking action and doing things to make you better, we might run into some resistance. What we do might not be perfect, could be wrong or it might not work out, but at least we won’t be in doubt about ourselves.
Final Thoughts on Self-Care
It’s easy to forget the few essential things we can do to truly take care of ourselves. We hope this mini-guide serves as a reminder of the simple things we can do today to make our lives easier, better, and more enjoyable.
Meet the Author
This post was written by Brian Ferret. Brian is a sleep enthusiast who enjoys a good bedtime story. He is on a mission to create awareness on the best practices for sleep. His goal is to educate others on how they can sleep better so they can live happier, healthier, and better lives. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter to learn how you can improve your sleep. You can also visit his website at MySleepyFerret.com.
It can sometimes be easy to forget about self-care. One of the most common excuses is that you don’t want to do the generic bath or meditation, so self-care isn’t for you. But that is wrong. Self-care encompasses such a variety of activities! Here are 101 different ways to practice self-care.
Health is associated with many things. To maintain good health, one must eat good nutritious food, exercise daily, sleep for 8 hours, and most importantly manage your stress. Although every idea is important to maintain good health, mental health is the key to live happy and healthy; you can only gain from a healthy mind. So take part in activities that help you to develop a strong and healthy mind. You should always build your lifestyle around those activities that keep you fresh, and stress-free.
Sports are a great way to maintain good mental health. Exercise can also help people keep their mental and overall physical health in check. But the most important activity a person can build his or her life around to maintain good mental health is traveling. You need a powerful body to live a healthy life, but you need a powerful mind to fuel that body as well. Traveling is a unique way to maintain great mental health. It is a fact that people who travel at least once or twice a year live a happier and healthier life.
Importance Of A Good Mental Health
To live an overall healthy life, you need a healthy mind. Mental health is the key to the happiness a person seeks in their life. When a person is stressed from work and daily lifestyle, the mind becomes vulnerable to depression, and that is where all the problems begin. Mind controls our body, and if our mind isn’t fresh and healthy, we are prone to diseases that are incurable. It doesn’t matter what we eat, do, and how much we sleep.
A good mental health needs exercise, just as our body to remain healthy and fresh. So it is imperative to take part in activities that keep it fresh and healthy. Always do something that makes you happy. For some people, traveling is the key to defeat depression and maintaining good mental health. When you travel to exotic locations, discover new cultures, explore the landscape, and talk to new people, you learn new things, and it opens a different part of the brain. Sometimes, a person may end up rediscovering him or herself. You can also find out about new passions and liken’s by traveling. So, explore new places for excellent mental health.
Traveling Significance
Traveling is a form of rumination that keeps a mind positive and productive. It helps a person to keep his or her mind young by healing the soul. It can no doubt create some stress on your body, but it resets and refreshes your mind.
Traveling is barred by no limits. Some people prefer to travel to beaches, some to the countryside or cities, and some wander in the mountains, and high altitude passes. There are so many possibilities a person can create when it comes to traveling, and every single one helps you to maintain a healthy mind.
How Can Travel Benefit Mental Health?
Travel does everything to a human body and mind that a person cannot do sitting at home. There are many benefits to mental health that are associated with traveling. We will discuss a few of them in this article, and they are following.
An Escape From Daily Struggles
Traveling is the best way to take a break from your daily routine. Life isn’t defined by what you do daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, but it is determined by what you are prepared to do when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. A monotonous daily routine can give you depression and can drown you in anxiety. To avoid taking a toll on your mental and physical health, you need an escape, and only traveling can help you.
Traveling Makes Your Body Strong
When you travel, you come across different challenges that you cannot face in your daily life. But these challenges help you to develop an attitude that makes you and your body healthy. You also take a lot of wear and tear on your body, but your mind is fresh, and that provides the necessary motivation to discover more. It increases your stamina and ability to absorb more stress.
Rediscovering Your Passions
What makes you happy? When you ask any random person this question, they will take some time to answer it. And sometimes, their answer won’t even satisfy them. But when they travel, and their mind discovers a new passion, they will certainly answer your question correctly. In my case, I didn’t know I wanted to climb mountains until I traveled to a valley.
Increasing Your Thought Processing Capacity
Traveling enables you to think out of the box. It does so by putting you in different situations where you are not in your comfort zone. So you need to consider and solve the issue in a limited time. It is actually a good brain exercise, and you are conditioned to solve problems quite efficiently. It also makes you creative, as you think about new solutions.
Learning New Ways To Enhance Saving
Traveling can sometimes force a person to stress about his travel costs, which is always high. However, when you learn the ins and outs of traveling, you end up finding different ways to earn discounts by redeeming promotions and offers. So you can cut your travel costs and enjoy savings. For example, I was helped by a travel agency in the UK on my last traveling trip. They gave me a promotion package of hotel and transport, which helped me save a lot of money. Learning new ways to save and spend mindfully is a great exercise that can reduce stress in daily living finances.
Meet the Author
This post was written by Yungeshwar. Yougeshwar is a blogger by passion and working as a search analyst in one of the leading digital marketing agency. Also, loves music, traveling, adventure, family, and friends.
No matter what people may think, inner beauty is far more critical than what you physically see on the outside. This is the only truth people don’t seem to get. So, stay with us if you want to know how to nurture it and boost your self-esteem at the same time. Here are four useful tips on how to accomplish that goal, so check them out and enjoy!
Do Nice Things For Yourself On A Daily Basis
One of the best ways to nurture your inner beauty is to do kind things for yourself on a daily basis. And what does that actually mean? Well, you’ve probably already figured out that it’s the small things in life that make a huge difference. And the small things are precisely what you should start with.
You might make yourself a cup of lavender tea, visit the sauna, get a relaxing massage, or make yourself a bath. You can also read your favorite book, watch a good movie all over again, or prepare a healthy and nutritious meal. There’s nothing wrong in pampering yourself, and you’ll see an instant improvement as soon as you realize that!
Yes, we agree that this may sound quite simple and logical. Unfortunately, it isn’t the case with the majority of people, from all over the globe. This is because of the substantial impact of social media. Social media have raised the bar and set the standards so high that almost no one can keep up with them.
This is why millions of young women are struggling with their self-image. As they feel that they aren’t good enough because they aren’t pretty enough or don’t have perfect body measurements. If that’s the case with you, make sure to understand that a few extra pounds or a little bit of belly fat don’t tell you who you are. Your physical appearance has nothing to do with who you are on the inside. While outer beauty can come and go, and your character stays forever. So, give your best to love yourself just as you are. Remember the famous Mark Darcy’s quote from Bridget Jones’ Diary? “I like myself, just as I am.” Your love for yourself is exactly what matters most. So, try to never forget that, and you’ll undoubtedly become much more confident and content.
Seek Professional Help
However, if you cannot deal with your insecurities by yourself, you should definitely seek professional help. Seek out someone who can teach you and help you overcome your insecurities. Even though a lot of people are ashamed to admit it, the truth is that there is nothing bad or wrong in seeking the help of a professional.
A large number of Australian women have recognized the importance of that issue. This is why they wanted to find a psychologist in Sydney to help them get to the heart of the problem and achieve real change. This is important not only when it comes to improving your negative self-image, but also when speaking of other issues. These additional issues might include relationships, family conflicts, work-life balance, grief and loss, depression, and many more. Additionally, there are some great workshops held by experienced psychologists. These workshops can help you deal with anything that bothers you, so be sure to seek professional help, and you’ll be one step closer to achieving your goal.
Surround Yourself With Positive People
Boosting your self-confidence and nurturing your inner beauty can also be done thanks to the help of your loved ones such as your partner, parents, kids, and best friends. One saying says that you are the company you keep, which basically means that the people you hang around with often affect all aspects of your life and shape your personality, attitudes, and thoughts.
So, when you know this, it’s essential that you surround yourself with people who profoundly care about you, who love you and appreciate your presence in their lives. These people should have the qualities you appreciate and, above all, a positive attitude towards life and everything around them. Keeping such people close to you is crucial, so bear that in mind, and you’ll do the right thing!
As you can see, nurturing your inner beauty and boosting your self-esteem doesn’t have anything to do with your physical appearance, the clothes you’re wearing, or the smartphone you currently have. It’s all about learning to love yourself and doing nice things for yourself while being surrounded by the people you love. Of course, you shouldn’t be afraid of seeking professional help either, especially if you can’t overcome particular problems all by yourself. Once that’s done, you can be sure that you did everything you could to improve the quality of your life – but spiritually and emotionally, not materially!
Meet the Author
Helen Bradford is a journalism student who always seeks new ideas to write about. She enjoys blogging about beauty, health and style trends for women. When she’s not writing, she spends her spare time being active through fitness and traveling.
The quality of your sleep and your mental health are very closely connected. Most people believe that sleep deprivation only affects our physical health. But the fact is that it also severely affects our psychological state and mental health. Studies even show that those suffering from mental health issues are more likely to experience insomnia or other sleep disorders.
Chronic sleep problems affect from 50% to 80% of patients in psychiatric practice. Additionally, chronic sleep problems affect 10% to 18% of adults in the general United States population. Sleep problems are particularly experienced by those who are fighting depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. In the past, clinicians saw insomnia and other sleep problems as a symptom of mental disease. However, newer studies suggest that sleep problems can directly contribute to the development of some psychiatric disorders. Treating a sleep disorder may help to alleviate some of the symptoms of the co-occurring mental health issue.
The Connection between Sleep and Mental Health
The relationship between our brain and our mental health is not entirely understood, but research shows that a good night’s sleep is vital for mental and emotional resilience. On the other hand, sleep disturbances and sleep deprivation set the stage for negative thinking and emotional vulnerability.
So far, researchers have established a stable connection between sleep problems and mental health, and have proven that sleep disorders affect patients with mental health issues more than people in the general population. Sleep problems increase the risk for developing specific mental diseases, and treating the sleep disorder will significantly help to alleviate the symptoms of the mental health problem.
How Sleep Affects Mental Health
During sleep, we go through multiple sleep stages. Initially, one sleep cycle lasts around 90 minutes. Every 90 minutes, you will change a sleep cycle, but as sleep progresses, the length of time spend in each sleep stage will vary.
During non-REM sleep, also known as “quiet” sleep, you will go through four different stages of deep sleep. Your body temperature will drop, your muscles will relax, and your breathing and heart rate will slow down. Deep sleep nourishes your physical health, such as helping to boost your immune system functioning.
REM sleep also known as rapid eye movement is a sleep stage when people dream. Your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and body temperature levels are very similar to when you are awake. REM sleep contributes to emotional health and enhances learning and memory.
Scientists have discovered that sleep deprivation affects levels of neurotransmitters and stress hormones which may wreak havoc in the brain, impair your thinking and emotional regulation. In this way, sleep disorders may intensify the symptoms of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder, and ADHD.
Psychological Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Sleep is vital for optimal mental health. During sleep, the brain processes information and consolidates memories learned and experienced during the day.
Chronic sleep deprivation can inhibit productivity, slow down your thought processes, suppress creativity, increase irritability, impair concentration and coordination, and make learning very difficult.
Sleep deprived individuals are more likely to anger, become aggressive or depressed and they have more difficulties handling stress.
Chronic sleep deprivation can even induce hallucinations and trigger mania. However, mania is triggered only in individuals who are suffering from bipolar disorder.
Lack of sleep has similar mental effects as drinking – it impairs judgments, distorts thinking and slows down reaction time. As you can see, without a good night’s rest, it is impossible to function optimally during the day and successfully complete your daily activities.
Practical Tips to Sleep Better
1. Figure out your sleep efficacy
To determine you sleep efficacy, divide the number of hours slept by the number of hours spent in bed, and then multiply it by 100. A good sleep efficacy number is around 85. This number reveals if you're giving your body enough time to relax and unwind at night or if you're spending too much time in bed doing other things, like watching movies or reading.
2. Set good sleep behaviors
Having a consistent bed routine isn’t only beneficial to children, but to adults as well. The first step of improving your sleep is to try to go to bed and wake up at the same times each day. This helps your body set a regular rhythm and ensure you wake up refreshed every morning.
3. Get help if you need it
If you have troubles falling asleep at night for an extended period, don’t turn to OTC medication. Over-the-counter products can be used for occasional sleeplessness, but mustn’t be used on a daily basis. If you struggle to fall asleep at night, never hesitate to see your family doctor or visit a sleep clinic.
Meet the Author
This post was written by Andrew Levacy. Andrew runs Memory Foam Talk, a site dedicated to unbiased mattress reviews. As someone fighting insomnia for years, his mission is to help people get a better night’s rest by facilitating the often long and painful decision of selecting a new mattress.
We all know how wonderful it feels when we get a great night’s sleep, we wake full of energy and ready to take on the world! Despite all of us knowing how good sleep is for us, it seems less of us are getting enough of the good stuff, and our health is suffering as a result. One of the biggest causes of missed sleep is stress. We flick off the lights and lay our head on our nice soft pillow, but instead of drifting off to the land of nod the little voice in our head begins to list all the worries we have for the following day.
Stress and sleep are strange bedfellows. The more stressed we are, the less likely we are to sleep well. But then the worst we sleep the more likely we are to develop anxiety, stress and even depression. A cruel cycle indeed; it’s all quite unfair! What can be done to break this cycle? Well, below I’m going to let you in my top tips on how to get more sleep and reduce your stress levels.
Get into A Routine
Regularity is probably the most important thing anyone can do to help improve their sleep. The human mind craves routine. Doing the same thing at the same time helps the brain build associations and with its shortcuts.
Go to bed at the same time every day, get up at the same time. Whether it is the weekday or the weekend, try and keep to the same time. Note, your body doesn’t care about weekends, Saturday is nothing more than a social construct. You will soon find your brain knows what time sleep should be and will start to prepare for it.
The same principle lays behind a having a good pre-bed wind-down routine. Avoiding screens in the hour before bed will help your overstimulated brain slow down. Replacing any activity that involves even the remotest possibility of stress with low key, relaxing things instead will do wonders.
So, that means no more tax returns, flight booking or attempting to help your son with their math homework before bed. Instead, why not slow down, read a book, listen to some music, or even take a nice hot bath.
For other ideas on what makes a great pre-bed routine, plus a host of other tips on how to improve your odds of a good night’s kip, check out the Sleep Advisor blogroll.
Take A Nice Hot Bath
Speaking of baths, AH! What is more relaxing than soaking into the bubbles and having a nice long bath before bed? A lot of people swear by it, Oprah Winfrey for one. If it is good enough for the queen of daytime, it’s good enough for us!
Pre-bed bath enthusiasts often claim it’s the toasty warmth of a good soak that lulls them to sleep. Well, they are partially right. Having a hot bath before bed is great for inducing sleepy times but not for the reason they think.
When you have a hot bath, a process known as vasodilation takes place, this is where the blood rushes to the skin. Hence why you get rosy cheeks. When you then step out of your nice warm bath all this heat at the surface of your body is transferred to the cold air around, and you experience a massive thermal dump, and your core temperature plummets. It’s this cooling effect that is incredibly soporific.
Having a hot bath, or an ice-cold shower will have a similar impact. It’s just a hot bath is a far more pleasurable experience. Both are ways to help you de-stress at the end of a long day and get your body and mind in a good place for sleep time.
Calm That Monkey Mind
One method to calm that chattering voice in your head at night is to take up a little meditation. And no, before you ask, meditation is not just for monks and hippies. Though, these two groups do seem pretty relaxed!
Everyone can benefit from the effects of a little meditation. It’s free and requires nothing but a place to sit. To genuinely feel the benefit it does, however, require the commitment of at least 15 minutes each day.
It might sound dramatic but meditation over time essentially works by reprogramming our brain.
I know that sounds outlandish, the brain scans substantiate such claims.
Daily sessions of simply sitting and observing whatever images and ideas that float through our mind’s eye, help us realize how futile it is to worry about every little thought. This helps to free us from negative patterns of thoughts, reduce anxieties and de-stress. Find a quiet corner and give it a go.
Well there you go – three simple and completely free (if you don’t count bath salts) ways reduce your stress levels and help improve your odds of a great night’s rest. A little unsure, well, why not give them a whirl. What’s the worst thing that can happen? You miss a bit of sleep!
Meet the Author
Hi there, my name’s Sarah, and I’m a sleep addict. I simply can’t get enough of the good stuff. When I’m not lying in bed dreaming (mainly of Chris Hemsworth) I spend the better part of every day researching and writing about sleep. I genuinely believe the world would be a happy, healthier, and even safer place to live if we all took sleep a little bit more seriously. Sweet dreams!
Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
Self-care has become one of the most defining terms of the past five years. As more and more people have sought to reclaim their busy lives and center in on their health and well-being, self-care has risen to prominence in a way that has never been seen before. Here are some self-care fundamentals you can enjoy every day.
Intro to Self-Care Fundamentals
Despite this widespread acknowledgment of the benefits of self-care, some people have yet to truly make a switch and embrace what self-care can offer them. One of the most common reasons for this is concerns about time. Often, self-care is described in terms that make it sound very time consuming — take the night off, go to a spa, read one book per week — and, sadly, some people just don’t have the free time available to allow for those behaviors.
Thankfully, there are ways and means of embracing self-care without having to sacrifice half of your diary to the endeavor. Self-care, at its most basic, is about improving every day of your life in small, but noticeable and beneficial, ways. Below, you’ll find a few ideas for self-care fundamentals that can help give you the boost you need to finally be able to embrace self-care once and for all.
Use Basic Products That Bring You Joy
There are some things in life that we have to do every day, without fail— so why not make them as pleasant as possible? By choosing products that you use on a daily basis that genuinely make you happy, there’s a little moment of joy in even the simplest of functions. For example, choose your favorite fragrance for your bath melts, a softer towel to use to dry your hair after a shower, or a cute notepad to record your to-do list in. These little touches allow you to make even the most mundane of daily tasks that little more special. In so small a way that you wouldn’t even notice it from the outside, these are incremental improvements that will make your life better.
Go To Bed Earlier Than Normal
Sleep is perhaps the ultimate when it comes to self-care. We are all able to be the very best versions of ourselves when we have slept well, so “treating yourself” to an earlier bedtime can feel indulgent and luxurious, and have significant benefits for both your health and your mood. Take the time to ensure that your bed is as comfortable and welcoming as possible, too; opt for beautiful cotton pillowcases and use a latex mattress as a comfort layer so delightful you’ll actively look forward to collapsing into bed every night!
Talk About Nothing Of Importance
When was the last time you spoke to someone about… nothing? Just idly chatted about things that were going on in the world, a shared hobby, or just observations about your lives? For many of us, the last time we spoke to a loved one for no specific reason is a very long time ago— our conversations are usually expected to be more productive, making decisions and discussing particular issues. Make a little time to talk with a friend, via text message or email if necessary, about nothing in particular. Just relax and natter with one another, enjoy each other’s company, and not feeling like there’s something to be accomplished from the conversation. Sometimes, talking about nothing at all can be one of the most rewarding things you can possibly do.
Laugh More
Laughing is inherently good for us; the more we laugh, the better we feel. Interestingly, the laughter doesn’t have to be genuine— fake laughter produces the same mood-boosting effects as genuine laughter. To make the most of this odd biological quirk, set aside five minutes in the day to laugh to yourself about nothing at all— you’ll be amazed at how good it makes you feel. Concerned you’ll feel self-conscious if someone overhears you laughing to yourself? Don’t worry: do your daily laughing in the shower, as the water should drown out your faux mirth.
By taking the time to engage with these self-care fundamentals, you have made important inroads that can genuinely benefit your life. You can use these fundamentals as a starting point for greater development of self-care, or — if you really don’t have the time for more — you can see these as a baseline that will help establish your happiness every day of your life.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
You may not realize it, but the environment that you live in plays an awfully big part of your wellbeing too. If your home is an unpleasant, messy place to be in, then your mind is going to pan out that way too, and that’s the last thing you want. So make sure that you put some energy into ensuring your home is what it needs to be. If you’re not quite sure how to de-stress your home, here are a couple of ideas to get you started.
Oh, stress… We all experience waves of stress in our lives, yet, it can cause us so much harm. Often people don’t realize the severe impact stress can have on our bodies. Stress can really take its toll. What may start out as a generally bad day, can quite easily turn into a bad week, a bad month, and then all of a sudden you find yourself with some serious health conditions and mental health struggles.
Depression is no joke. It’s a very slippery slope to go down with no easy way out. This is why it’s so important that you take care of yourself and make sure that you seek help when you need it before you end up too exhausted and low to even get out of bed in the mornings.
Repair the Damage
If you’re aware that something isn’t working as it should, this is bound to make you feel worse. This is because you will get the impression that nothing seems to function properly. But rather than allowing yourself to drown in those negative and harmful thoughts – find a practical solution. It can be as simple as calling in a plumber to fix the constant overflowing shower, or vacuuming. While it seems like such a nightmare for you to do simple things like taking a shower – it’s a very easy job for the professionals, so never refrain from giving them a call when you need an extra set of trained hands. It’s perfectly okay to ask for help.
Declutter the Chaos
Mess is never a good thing to have around you. Little by little it will build up until you come home one day and realize that you can barely see the worksurfaces anymore because there is so much junk filling up any blank space that you originally had. This can make you feel trapped or claustrophobic in your own house. That is not how its supposed to be, so don’t let your home get to this stage. Have a big sort out and get rid of anything that you no longer use or look at. Make separate piles to help you organize your things. The first pile should be things you’re keeping, the second is things to throw out, and last are things to be sold or donated. As difficult as it may be, sometimes you just need to let it go.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
Realistically, we need there to be at least 30 hours in a day. This twenty-four-hour thing just isn’t cutting it anymore. Life’s just too hectic. That sense of being overwhelmed is affecting one thing: our self-care. Here are a few simple self-care techniques you need.
We’re just not looking after ourselves the way we ought to be, and that’s because we’re too busy to squeeze in the sorts of things that would really benefit our health. Instead, we’re forced to skip the gym, eat microwavable meals, and only catch a few hours’ sleep a night.
It’s horrendous. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Taking better care of yourself doesn’t have to be overly-complicated, time-chomping, or all-consuming, and to prove this to you we’ve pulled together a list of super-simple ways you can look after yourself a bit better. Super-simple.
Get Outside Every Day
According to some scientists, spending time outdoors has been proved to increase our energy levels and give us an increased sense of well-being. You don’t need to hike Everest or anything, just walking around your garden four half-an-hour to have a positive effect.
Stretch It Out
Stretching is such a simple form of self-care. If you’re really pressed for time, then one of the best things you can do is pause for one minute in every hour and just stretch. Stretch it out. Stretch out as far as you can go. It’s one of the kindest things you can do for your body and, what’s more, you can do it anywhere and at any time.
Sleep For 7.5 Hours
That’s the dream right there (excuse the pun). This is because sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain, a dwindling attention span, decreased productivity, and a bunch of other things. To counter this, set yourself a bedtime and stick to it. Further, invest in a new mattress, starting with a browse of dormreports.com. You can hang heavy drapes over your windows, stop eating large meals before bed and ban your phone from your bedroom.
Eat Right at Night
If you are one of those people that absolutely cannot resist snacking in the evening (like me), try rethinking your snacking strategy. Things like tart cherries, almond butter on toast, fruit and peanut butter, Greek yogurt, and cheese are all great ideas. They’ll help you out more than candy.
Write Down Your Worries
Nothing is worse for your health than having a brain full of swirling and whirling worries. That’s why we recommend you pull out a pen, and a pad of paper. Get into the habit of writing any worries you might have down. This will free up a lot of space in your mind and let you get on with life, whether that is work, sleep or just general goodwill.
Music Is Life
Nothing in life can take you out of your funk faster than uplifting music. So, the next time you are feeling a little low, find an adequate playlist, press play and then just dance. You’ll find your mood changes and your energy lifts in the blink of an eye.
Book More Self-Care
Doing something that’s just for you feels SO good. Heading to a spa, getting a manicure, having your hair done, a massage – all of these things make us feel fantastic, which is why you should book another appointment on your way out of the door. That way you will treat yourself again and not put it off.
Enjoy Compliments
We know this sounds bonkers because compliments are given out with the intention of making us feel good. But the reality is somewhat different. Instead of reveling in a compliment, we deflect them, shy away from them, minimize their meaning, ignore them, and loads of other weird things too. Don’t do this. Seriously. The next time someone compliments you – no matter how big or small it may be – look the person in the eyes, given them a huge thank you and let their words sink in a little.
Add Some Color
Life is not meant to be grey; it’s meant to be bright and vivid, and fifty shades of colors and the easiest way to do this is to wear bright clothes, paint the walls of your home a brighter color and all that sort of stuff.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
Do you see all of these self-care challenges on Pinterest, but none of them seem to be what you need entirely? Then this challenge is for you because you create it! This self-care challenge is a step-by-step guide to creating your self-care challenge that fits your needs most.
This post may contain affiliate links.
I love making challenges, particularly self-care challenges. Still, it occurred to me that the challenges I create use only my ideas and completely neglect the thoughts of those who are completing the challenge! Maybe my ideas work, but the chances are that I am missing something valuable and unique that only you can bring to the table. Without further ado, let’s make you the best self-care challenge you’ve ever taken part in!
Make A Self-Care List
Every good challenge starts with a list, no matter what the topic is. For this challenge, I’d like you to start by making a list of things and activities that you enjoy, that make you happy, or that soothe you. There are NO rules to this list, make it as long or as short as you’d like and include whatever you want! I spoke to a group of my colleagues, and we put together a small but decent list of ideas if you are feeling stuck!
Wood-making/widdling
Bath/spa session
Yoga
A new fragrance (maybe a new one each week or month?)
Upbeat, love, or empowering music jam (in the car or at home)
Painting/drawing
Schedule 10 minutes of “me-time” either before bed or in the morning
Now that you have made your list of possible items, you need to pick a time frame. How long will your challenge last? One week? 12 days? A month? Three months? When deciding your length of time, be realistic. If you plan for more than is practical, your challenge will most likely fail! Another thing to keep in mind is that it takes about 21 days to create a habit, so if you wish to build a regular self-care practice, start small and work toward a 30+ day challenge! Another thing to keep in mind is that your self-care does not have to end when the challenge does, keep re-creating challenges, or re-using old challenges to continue further!
Now that you know how long it will last, you can start assigning your list to the days of your challenge. It is not uncommon to assign an activity to a specific day (ex: day 1: take a bath, day 2: light a candle). However, I highly recommend picking the date you will start your challenge and start assigning the activities to the actual date (ex: March 1: take a bath, March 2: light a candle). To make this easier, I created a document to help you plan out your challenge!
When you are assigning these activities, do not shy from using activities multiple times or not using everything on your list! Utilize the activities that you are most able to complete on that day. You could assign the more time-heavy activities to weekends or days you do not work.
Complete Your Self-Care Challenge
Now that you have created and planned out your challenge complete it! This is the most important part of the process! Go through your challenge and learn from it. By the end of the challenge, you’ll have a better idea of how to create future challenges and improve on the one you just made! Don’t be afraid to make changes as you go, sometimes things just don’t work out. Shorten, lengthen, or change up your challenge to make it most productive for you!
Get The Create-Your-Own-Challenge Template When You Sign Up Below!
My Self-Care Challenge
For the purpose of this post, I decided that I needed to create my own self-care challenge too! I am moving, and I plan to start this challenge the first day in my new apartment! I also decided that my challenge would be a 2-week challenge or 14-days. Check out my finished challenge below!
There are many times in life when suddenly your ability to care for yourself goes out the window. In a flash, all of your learned habits become extremely difficult to uphold, and before you know it, you are letting yourself get behind with your own self-care. When this happens, however, it is best not to let yourself beat yourself up about it – as this will only actually make it worse in the long run. Instead, you should aim to get yourself back on track – not by deriding yourself, but quite the opposite – by taking positive steps in the right direction. Given that these circumstances are usually stressful or out of your control, it can be hard to do this – but still entirely possible with the right approach.
Dealing with Life Situations
First of all, you need to make sure that you are actually dealing with the life situation which has caused you to put your self-care on hold. This is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if there is something like this in your way, it is a good idea to get it out of your way – and that means solving the problem, if possible. Secondly, your life situation is not separate from your ability to care for yourself but instead wound up within it. By dealing with the one, you are also helping the progress of the other. Fast solutions are best. If the situation is a divorce or a break-up, go for out-of-court solutions to get back on track faster. If it is the death of a loved one, grieve properly. Deal with your reality.
Putting Yourself First as Self-Care
Usually, in times of stress, we have a tendency to look to others for guidance, leadership, and support. This is natural, healthy and to a certain extent useful. But if you have started to notice that you have probably been playing too much emphasis on others, then you might want to remember to try and put yourself first. This means stepping back, taking a moment to ask yourself what your own opinion on the matter is, and doing whatever you think to get your self-care back on track. You are the most important person in your self-care, so this is a hugely valuable thing to bear in mind.
Being Kind to Yourself
If you are someone who often derides yourself for feeling a certain way or failing to be always positive, it’s helpful to learn not to engage in that behavior. Ultimately, it doesn’t help. What does help is to be as kind to yourself as you can manage so that you can look after yourself both now and in the future? You will find that this makes an enormous difference, so it is really worth thinking about. The kinder you are to yourself, the more likely you are to be able to embrace your self-care – exactly when you need to do that the most.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
If you haven’t noticed it yet, I am a HUGE advocate for self-care! Self-care is much more than taking a walk, eating right, or a nice relaxing bath. Self-care involves taking care of yourself in a way that causes you to LOVE yourself and who you are. Walking or eating right can surely help this, but there are a million other ways to feel good about who you are. You might splurge on a nice outfit, quality skincare, or you might invest in teeth whitening. Brightening your smile is a GREAT way to practice self-care. Smile Brilliant provides easy teeth whitening experience without those gooey strips other brands offer. Continue reading for an exclusive discount!
A Brighter Smile for Self-Care
You’re aware of the importance of self-care by now. But how exactly is a brighter smile a form of self-care?
First, smiling (even if it’s not a genuine smile) can reduce stress and increase mood! Want to learn more about the science of smiling? Check out this Huffington Post article.
Second, a bright smile is a sign of mental wellness and happiness. When you are happy and doing well, you are doing something right.
And third, when you feel good about the way you look and feel, you are more likely to feel good about who you are and life in general.
One way to feel amazing is to have white teeth! Keep reading to learn more about the easiest way to brighten your smile and whiten your teeth and claim your exclusive coupon!
The Easiest Way to Get a Brightened Smile
Smile Brilliant is the easiest way to get a brighter smile. What makes it so easy is that you can do it from home and it is exactly what you would get if you went to the dentist instead. Being a full-time student, full-time blogger, business owner, AND working part-time I do not have time to go to the dentist for teeth whitening.
