In this fast-paced world, self-care is frequently pushed toward the bottom of the priority list. It’s said that two in three people in the U.S. don’t practice self-care. Only 39% of men consistently make time for it, while 32% of women do. [1]
Not setting aside time for self-care could be considered self-neglect, as constantly putting your own needs on the back burner can take a significant toll on your physical and mental health. (Click to tweet)
Table of Contents:
1. What is Self-Care and Why Is It Important?
2. Creating Your Self-Care Plan
2.1 Observe Your Current Habits
2.2 Identify Your Individual Self-Care Needs
2.3 Write Down the Practices That Support Your Needs
2.4 Find a Place for These Practices in Your Schedule
2.5 Eliminate Barriers That Hold You Back
3. Best Self-Care Ideas and Activities to Improve Overall Well-Being
3.1 Taking Liposomal Supplements
4. Final Thoughts: Go Big on Self-Care This Year
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1. What Is Self-Care and Why Is It Important?
Self-care is the act of maintaining, improving, and preserving your well-being in ways that promote physical and mental health. Self care can be as simple as putting aside 20 minutes for you to soak in the bathtub and listen to some relaxing music or taking an hour to get some lunch with a close friend.
Something that should be considered is that self-care is not synonymous with selfishness. It’s also not a giant mountain we need to climb, and it isn’t something that needs to be constantly fed. It shouldn’t be as big of a chore as people make it out to be, but unfortunately, it is for many—especially those who have neglected themselves for so long.
However:
Self-care should be acknowledged as necessary, just like eating and drinking water. This is something you’re going to need to live a joyful and fulfilling life. Without self-care, you can find yourself sinking into a hole of depression, sleep deprivation, health complications, and swirling, chaotic thoughts.
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The avoidance of self-care doesn’t always hold a simple explanation. Many things can force people to shut down, avoiding any type of selfcare altogether. Sometimes we even partake in harmful or damaging activities instead. There are also situations where the weight of the world and the rush of everyday life get the best of us, and we haven’t paid much attention to ourselves in weeks.
Something to keep in mind is that:
- Self-care can save marriages
- Self-care can renew friendships and build stronger relationships
- Self-care helps us disconnect from the isolation we’ve adapted to recently
- Self-care can support elevation in your career
- Self-care can improve your everyday life, mentally and physically
The simplest way to take the step into a new mindset regarding self-care is by realizing that creating a space in your life to feel and function better is necessary. There are so many simple, almost effortless self-care ideas to improve your life.
This is where things start to get more interesting.
2. Creating Your Self-Care Plan
Creating your self-care plan doesn’t have to be intimidating; it should be fun! This is a new way for you to get into valuable and fulfilling habits, which will only improve your wellness with time.
Developing your self-care plan will also equip you with the tools you need to manage and better cope with stressful situations that arise. Sticking to your self care plan is key, and once you get into the routine, it will be hard to break—just like other habits.
Here are five steps to help you create a self-care plan suited to your individual needs.
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2.1 Observe Your Current Habits
The first thing you’ve got to do is acknowledge where you currently are. What strategies and methods are you using to help deal with life’s responsibilities?
What we mean by this is—do you typically turn to your trusty bottle of wine after a long, tense day at work? Or maybe you like to go on a walk around your neighborhood to relieve stress…or perhaps you want to withdraw from friends and family.
The key to this step:
Be totally honest with yourself. Don’t worry about being judged. Be completely transparent with yourself, and write down all the positive and negative coping mechanisms you’ve developed over time. This will help you identify any harmful habits and shed light on the more positive ones.
2.2 Identify Your Individual Self-Care Needs
A good self-care plan covers all areas of your life. This includes identifying your top physical, mental, professional, and emotional needs. Think about these areas, and then write down what seems the most important to you in regard to them.
This can truly be an eye-opening exercise, allowing you to see that maybe your physical needs are being met perfectly while your emotional needs are being completely neglected. This will have to be a very personal list, and this is something only you can do for yourself.
Here’s how to do it:
Get out a piece of paper and write the title of each area of your life along the top. Beneath each area, you can begin listing what is important to you. For example, beneath “emotional needs,” you could write things along the lines of “learn how to take more breaks” or “unplug when you get home with your family.”
2.3 Write Down the Practices That Support Your Needs
Now it’s time to decide which activities are going to support your self-care plan and help you meet your needs. Ask yourself questions like these:
- What hobbies or activities bring me the most joy?
- What helps me feel more energized and uplifted?
- When do I feel most at peace?
- What makes me feel fulfilled?
- What has helped me cope with challenging moments in my life?
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Log any selfcare practices that you plan on doing daily as well as those that you’ll only do now and then. For example, your goals may reflect that you want to make healthy nutritional choices every day, but you may only want to get out with your friends once each weekend.
You don’t have to make massive changes, either; small changes can make a big impact on your mental and physical health. For instance, vowing to drink a tall glass of water in the morning and eating healthy can help in many different ways. It could potentially kick the morning fatigue, boost energy levels, and help you be more productive and focused at work.
The same could be said about adding CBD oil to your daily routines, like SOL*CBD’s Advanced Liposomal in hibiscus flavor or these highly effective liposomal CBD capsules! This is something small that can easily be added to your regimen to make a big difference.
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2.4 Find a Place for These Practices in Your Schedule
This may be one of the most challenging steps to accomplish. This is where you’ll need to find pockets of time throughout your day or your week to perform these practices. Remember, selfcare is not self-indulgence. It’s a necessity to keep your mental and physical health optimal—and it’s also a small act of kindness to yourself, which can go a long way.
Don’t try turning your whole schedule upside down and try to force all sorts of different self-care practices into your day. Start small; maybe try introducing one or two activities into your weekly routine before diving into a whole new lifestyle. Making drastic changes to your schedule may cause more stress than it solves and may cause you to abort the plan altogether.
Keep in mind:
You should start with the ones that add the most value to your life first and work your way to the others. Priorities are ever-changing as well, so one week, you may injure yourself, and physical health or trying to heal may be a top priority. This would take precedence over some of your other self-care practices.
Once you’ve found a spot for self care in your schedule, you’ll be able to evaluate how these practices are helping you improve yourself.
2.5 Eliminate Barriers That Hold You Back
Remember when we suggested writing down your negative coping methods earlier? Let go of these self-destructive mechanisms. If self-care is your true goal, then you’ll have to relinquish these negative habits.
Pick the most detrimental coping mechanism and replace it with a positive self-care practice instead. This will take time, patience, and willpower, but it can be done.
You can also share your plan with your close friends or supportive family members, which might help you overcome difficult obstacles more easily.
3. Best Self-Care Ideas and Activities to Improve Overall Well-Being
There are plenty of activities that can improve specific aspects of your life. For example, going for a short jog around the neighborhood once or twice a week may help improve your energy levels and temporarily decrease stress. How about the things that improve your overall well-being consistently?
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3.1 Taking Liposomal Supplements
Taking liposomal CBD may be a good place to start! In addition to eating healthy and staying active, liposomal cannabidiol can help improve your health and well-being in many different ways.
You may be wondering what the difference is between regular CBD oil and liposomal CBD. Liposomal CBD is protected by a layer of microscopic fat bubbles called liposomes. This makes all the difference, as traditional CBD oils and infused edibles don’t have this highly absorbable protective layer. (Click to tweet)
These liposomes are also much easier for the body to absorb, which means you are getting a much larger dose of CBD in the end. Liposomes can effectively deliver and distribute the CBD exactly where it needs to be in potent doses. (Click to tweet)
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Liposomal CBD is also suitable for most people and can offer a host of different health benefits, both physical and mental. Some of the benefits of CBD include: (Click to tweet)
- Decreased anxiety & stress [2]
- Pain relief
- Healthier skin [3]
- Better sleep
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Remember:
These are only a few of the most popular reasons why people across the map are going crazy for liposomal CBD; even some pets have been able to reap the benefits of liposomal CBD. Take a look at this salmon-flavored liposomal CBD oil for dogs & cats!
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Some have also found CBD to be extremely beneficial for managing symptoms of PTSD, and in other cases, it helped manage ADHD.
4. Final Thoughts: Go Big on Self-Care This Year
Self-care is as important as ever, especially as so many of us have been forced into an isolating new way of life recently. Creating a self-care plan is the best thing you can do for yourself, as it allows you to identify and address all of the things that aren’t adding value to your life and notice the more positive ones and stick with them.
Whether it’s adding liposomal CBD to your daily routine, drinking more water, or getting more fresh air, you should start small and add positive practices slowly. There’s no need to overhaul your entire life or change your whole schedule now that you’ve decided to grant yourself more time for self-care. (Click to tweet)
Keep in mind that small changes can sometimes warrant big results.
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So many of us have been neglecting our own needs, especially those of us who are spread paper-thin. It’s easy to put your own needs last when other people require or expect so much of you. This can be in the form of a partner, your children, or even your employer.
The pressure of life’s responsibilities gets heavy. Try to remember that your needs are valid, too, and it’s not selfish to feel that way at all. Hopefully, these self-care tips helped out!
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