We are taught the golden rule — treat others how you want to be treated. The part they fail to teach us is how to treat ourselves. We spend most of our time focusing on the things going on around us that we don’t stop and notice the things going on inside ourselves. By the time we do, we’re already feeling burnt out, overworked, or just plain bad. So, how do you take care of yourself?
How to take care of yourself as a woman?
It’s important to take good care of yourself every day to stay healthy and happy! If you’re a woman, then there are a few special considerations to include in your self-care routine. Start by ensuring that your physical health is a priority by eating healthy foods, exercising, and avoiding things that could harm you, such as drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. Then, turn your attention to your daily hygiene routines to help you look and feel your best. And don’t forget about your emotional self-care habits! Be kind to yourself and assert yourself in your relationships with other people.
Acts of self-care create long-lasting positive physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual effects on us by working their magic on the inside. If you want to take good care of yourself, you must focus on real self-care. Taking care of yourself is about nourishing yourself on all levels of your being. It means doing something today that will benefit you now (even if you don’t immediately notice the effects) and in the future. And it means showing yourself love and respect, the same way you would show your partner or your kids love.
Things to do to take care of yourself
1. Drink some water first thing in the morning: Drink a glass of high quality drinking water as soon as you wake up. We often wake up after a night’s sleep slightly dehydrated, which often means starting your day off feeling crappy.
2. Nourish your body with healthy foods. Instead of reaching for junk foods when you’re hungry, go for more fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and also nutritional supplements if you are on a vegetarian/vegan diet. These foods will nourish your body and help you to have more energy every day.
3. Sleep for at least 8 hours every night. Being well rested will help you to feel your best the following day, so go to bed early enough each night to get this amount of sleep or if you have difficulties falling asleep or sleeping through the night try sleep patches like the Fleur Marché - Sleep Patches you can find at MY BODHI which help you hit the pillow and stay horizontal longer with its powerful blend of Melatonin + CBD.
4. Self-Pleasure. As the ultimate form of self-care, sexual wellness is a fundamental part of our overall health. The topic around female pleasure is often regarded as taboo and considered shameful. Self-pleasure is a way to connect with us sexually and emotionally. It offers us the opportunity to regain confidence and offers us a way to give back to ourselves.
Self-care ideas for women
Start your self-care routine by taking time each day to pause. Find an activity that promotes inner peace and calm. This will allow you to unwind from stress and get in touch with your needs. Here are a few simple self-care ideas for beginners:
- Spend time in nature, like gardening or walking barefoot in the grass or sand, a practice called grounding.
- If you’re especially tired, try to go to bed early.
- Spend 10 to 15 minutes a day on a few simple yoga poses or stretches.
- Try an Epsom salts bath.
- Use a guided meditation app.
- Read a book in your favorite chair before bed.
- Take a walk around your neighborhood without a goal.
- Do a craft.
- Take a nap.
- Sit on your front porch or deck and just sit there. No phone.
Importance of self-care
When you practice self-care you produce positive feelings, which boosts motivation and self-esteem leaving you with increased energy to support yourself as well as your loved ones. Self-care means identifying and meeting your needs, something that most women struggle with. In our society, women often feel obligated to be caretakers. They tend to put others first. So, it may feel awkward (and even selfish) for a woman to suddenly shift the balance from everyone-else-care to self-care. It’s time for women to view self-care differently and enter into this uncharted territory, however uncomfortable it might feel at first.
If you don’t properly care for yourself, your body will let you know in negative ways. Self-care simply means you’re taking time to care for yourself. If you don’t have time. Make time. Michelle Obama once said: “When I get up and work out, I’m working out just as much for my girls as I am for me, because I want them to see a mother who loves them dearly, who invests in them but who also invests in herself. It’s just as much about letting them know as young women that it is okay to put yourself a little higher on the priority list”. If we can leave you with one message it is this, it is not selfish to practice self-care.