Are your doctor and community repeatedly insisting that you follow mindfulness? Are you tired of hearing the words on repeat but still have no clue about what mindfulness or self-care actually is?
Pandemic or not, stress and depression have been an important crisis that requires to be addressed by each and every individual by themselves as a person or as a community.
More than soothing words and costly spa appointments, what we all need is some time to ourselves. Time to acknowledge those personal feelings that reside at the bottom of our priority list.
People have taken up numerous ways to prioritize their needs around their busy and stressful life during the lockdown. Here is how you can create or manage a mindfulness routine.
What Is a Self-Care Routine?
Self-care is the practice of mindfulness, be it in the form of yoga, workout, cooking, reading a book, or anything else for that matter which helps your mind stay at peace and in sync with your body.
It is important to inculcate these habits in your routine to make it easier to move through the day without getting frustrated and angry with yourself.
How to Practice a Self-Care Routine?
Irrespective of your age, gender, amount of stress, and level of depression in life, these 9 habits have proven to be of utmost use when practicing self-care.
1. Organize
It is not always easy to keep things organized, but people with infants know that organizing stuff and keeping feeding bottles, toys, and fresh diapers handy can make a difference when there is a crying baby. Similarly, during work from home, keeping things organized can save a lot of time while you are in the middle of a meeting.
2. To-Do List
If you are one of the vast majority of people who leaves a to-do list incomplete, then you should follow this method:
- Place the list in a well visible place
- Have your entire family fill the list
- Assign chores in the list to different members to lighten the burden
- Add a shopping column and have your family fill it out as they empty each item.
3. Separate
Your work and family are both equally important, and while working from home, you need to separate them by giving appropriate time to both. Create your workspace, be it a room or a desk. Spending the day leisurely and working extended hours are not going to reap any rewards.
4. Boundaries
Learn to say “NO,” doctors, psychologists are stressing a lot on setting boundaries these days and cultivating the habit of saying no in children. You may regret or feel guilty for saying no, but this is the first big step in self-care.
5. Routine
Making a routine for work or chores is easy. You prioritize based on urgency and deadlines but making a self-care routine requires constant effort, consistent behavior, and determination to stay put. Make a routine that gives you, your family, and your work equal time and importance.
6. Community
Get in touch with your neighbors, not on social media BUT IN REALITY, share food, thoughts, chores and develop together by supporting each other in the process. You can babysit their kids and give them at least 15 mins of free time in the restroom. Ask if you need any help, worst case, they may say a no.
7. Streamline
Self-care also involves streamlining your entire day and night. Never push chores off for the night. Make sure you eat a healthy dinner at least 2 hours before you sleep and control those midnight cravings. Drink a glass of water before you go to sleep and after you wake up.
8. Screen Time
Similar to children, adults should also manage their screen time. Staring at bright lights during the night can cause disturbed sleep cycles,—worst which can pose a problem later in life, leading to anxiety and insomnia.
9. Consume
Breakfast cereal is not food. If you can’t prep a meal first thing in the morning, then:
- Have washed fruits and vegetables available at the table for immediate consumption
- Go for frozen meals
- Choose eggs and milk over cereal and milk
- 3 ingredient recipes are getting famous nowadays, so check them out
- Opt for home-cooked meat rather than take-away.
