Self-Care

How have you been taking care of yourself lately?

In the midst of the current pandemic, we can be so occupied with taking care of our families, team members and friends but forget the most important person, ourselves.

When we think of self-care, we immediately think of physical care like exercise, diet and sleep. Self-care is more than physical care. It encompasses our mental, emotional and social well-being too.

We need to be healthy, strong and whole before we can serve others. Here are 4 simple self-care routines which you can practice immediately:

1. Physical care – have adequate sleep nightly (7 to 8 hours is ideal); exercise at least 20 minutes a day; watch the food you put into your mouth, make sure they are nutritious and beneficial to your health besides being yummy.
2. Mental care – be aware of the mental chatters that go on in your mind, especially news about the pandemic. Process “troubling” thoughts with family members or close friends when you find negative thoughts taking over.  Practising mindfulness or just spending quiet moments alone help to dissipate some of these hidden stresses that we are carrying.
3. Emotional care – there is so much going on that we sometimes can’t make sense of them but life has to go on and we still need to stay strong for our families and others who depend on our leadership or guidance. Take time off from your busy day to have some “me” time to let go of any emotional tussle that is tugging at your heart string.
4. Social connection – don’t forget to stay in touch with people.  In times like this, friends can be a great source of support to motivate and hold us up when we feel like giving up. Work to build a group of trusted friends whom you can call upon when in needs or when you need a shoulder to lean on. Don’t forget to reciprocate. We need to be a friend to others in needs to provide mutual support.

Today is a good time to get going and you will be surprised to see what returns to you when you decide to act.