We are all guilty of pushing our needs aside to look after the other people in our lives. While that is admirable, it can also make you miserable. The only way to truly help other people is to look after yourself too. Otherwise, you’re just letting yourself get worn down, and you be no help to anybody.
Looking after yourself is the easiest thing in theory, but a lot of people will just say that they don’t have the time. You’re wrong. You need to make time to look after yourself so that you can go about your life happy and at 100%.
You Are What You Eat
As much as you have probably already heard it, your diet is a big part of looking after yourself – if you eat garbage you’ll feel like garbage, it’s as simple as that. A balanced diet will give you all the energy you need for your day to day life, and it will also boost your body’s vitamin levels. Eating food high in certain vitamins, like salmon, tuna, and orange juice are high in vitamin D, will tip the balance in your body towards being happier.
No one is saying don’t have the odd slice of chocolate cake because chocolate can make you very happy, but a balanced diet is always best.
Exercise
Another repetitive piece of advice. But it’s true, exercise not only looks after you physically, but it also works mentally. The release of endorphins and oxytocin that you get post-workout is the body’s natural high. It also helps in that you can look in the mirror and love what you see. Too many people hate their bodies for various reasons, but the main one is weight. A balanced diet and regular exercise will fix that and make you love who you are inside and out.
Know When To Ask For Help
Sometimes you need a little bit of extra help. Seeing a psychiatrist isn’t a form of weakness – in fact, it’s a strong thing to able to admit that you need help. There can be a whole range of reasons you need some extra help; grief, body image, anxiety, depression, post-partum depression – the list goes on. And the act of talking to someone and having them understand and be able to help you sort through why you feel that way, can help you exponentially.
You Time
Spending time on just you can go against a lot of people’s natural instincts. But it is so worth it. Use this time to do something you love – whether it’s something constructive, beautifying or meaningless if it makes you happy then do it. You time can be half an hour soaking in the tub, or binging a new series on Netflix. If could be going for a walk with the dog, or a date night with your partner. You time is about making you happy.
These are great tips, thank you so much for sharing! As a SAHM of three who also homeschools, I always forget to take care of myself.