Psychological Self-Care Routines: what are they and how to apply them?

How are you doing taking care of yourself in the times we live in? With the accelerated pace of our society, self-care has taken a backseat since in many cases, it is not given the attention it deserves. Everyday life exhausts us physically and mentally, however, we do not dedicate enough necessary time to ourselves. In fact, for many people it seems almost impossible to create a self-care routine in their lives; however, no matter how minimal it is, it is essential to prioritize it.

We consider self-care to be optional, as if we could constantly put it off until we find a space in the schedule. The problem is that, normally, we are the last thing on an endless list of tasks and therefore, we end up forgetting ourselves. Now, it is clear that we can only maintain this for so long until it takes its toll on us.

There are some key signs to detect a lack of routine psychological self-care such as emotional exhaustion, physical discomfort, apathy, life dissatisfaction, lack of motivation and concentration, relationship problems personal…

With the aim of avoiding these uncomfortable sensations, in today's article we will analyze the keys to being able to carry out satisfactory self-care that leads to comprehensive well-being.

• We recommend you read: "Low selfsteem? "When you become your worst enemy"

What is self-care?

Self-care or self-care refers to the ability to pay attention to what happens to us, to what we think and what we feel, to knowing how to validate and protect ourselves.In short, to achieve a state of physical and psychological well-being. Along these lines, it is important to know the different types of self-care:

• Emotional self-care. Pay attention to our emotions. The negative ones serve to alert us that there is some aspect or factor in our life that is not working as it should. Therefore, taking care of our emotional health involves learning to express and manage these emotions appropriately.

• Physical self-care. Paying attention to our body is a key aspect. Exercise regularly, rest, eat healthy, make necessary medical visits, abandon certain habits that do not provide anything beneficial, etc.

• Intellectual self-care. We should not only exercise our body, but also our mind. It is important to stimulate our brain through critical thinking and creativity.

• Spiritual self-care. It refers to creating a deep connection with our values ​​and what really matters to us.

• Social self-care. As we are social beings, bonds with other people are completely fundamental for our well-being. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to take care of our social network in order to build healthy and lasting relationships.

How to apply a self-care routine?

Now that you know the theory, you may be wondering what you can do to achieve a daily self-care routine. Well, we regret to tell you that there is no foolproof recipe for everyone. Therefore, it is important that we find a balance based on our preferences, circumstances and the environment in which we live. In other words, for the routine to work, it must adapt to us and not the other way around.

The first step would be to be clear and defined our objectives. Must ask ourselves what we need, what we would like to achieve, and ultimately, what changes depend on us and which do not when it comes to starting to take care of ourselves.. Let's see how to do it.

• Make time for yourself every day. There are no excuses, it is mandatory. Whether it's a moment in the morning before the people in your house wake up or on the contrary, when everyone has gone to sleep, take a little time for yourself.

• Drink water as soon as you wake up. Start your morning with a big glass of water. Keep in mind that we become dehydrated when we sleep after so many hours without drinking and therefore, this small big step helps a lot.

• Have breakfast. Skipping breakfast is not an option. In fact, it is very important to have breakfast every day. Include fruits and nuts in your breakfast. It's a great way to start the day by taking care of yourself.

• Practice physical exercise every day. The sedentary lifestyle that we have in our daily lives is the complete opposite of a good self-care routine. Whether it's going to the gym, dancing, or walking, prioritize a half hour a day to move.

• Practice meditation. Meditation does not take much time, in fact, a few minutes a day are enough. There is various research that supports that meditating keeps the mind calm and helps you face daily life with a positive attitude.

• Care ritual. Paint your nails, shave, wash your face, get a massage, buy what you like, put a mask on your hair, etc. Taking care of yourself doesn't have to be expensive. Small things that make you happy are enough. The most important thing is that you take time, pamper yourself and take care of yourself.

• Get organized on Sundays. Take some time this day to organize the rest of the week. With this you will be more downloaded and planned. Therefore, you will be calmer and with more tools to face everyday life.

The guilt

It is important to highlight an important aspect that usually appears in this process when starting a self-care routine. When we decide to dedicate space and time to ourselves, negative feelings often flourish, and the most common is guilt. On the one hand, we feel that we are wasting time, or that we can make better use of it instead of taking care of ourselves.

On the other hand, It also often happens that we feel guilty when putting our needs before those of others.. The latter has a lot to do with the education received, since we have been taught to constantly satisfy the needs of others, but not our own.

In order to get away from this unpleasant feeling, it is crucial that we keep in mind that no one is going to take care of ourselves if we don't do it ourselves. We are not being selfish for preferring to do something that we like instead of a third person.

Remember that it's okay to take time for yourself.. After all, taking care of ourselves is a sign of respect and affection that gives us security, increases our self-esteem and, ultimately, improves our physical and mental health.