Sometimes, life is just too hectic to practice the self-care you know you need. Whether that’s practicing the physical therapy exercises you know you should be doing or getting a gel nail manicure at your local salon, sometimes things just get away from you. While that’s fine, and it’s true that we can all only do our best, it’s also true that the repercussions of letting things go tend to pile up over time.
Do you brace yourself before facing the normal activities of your everyday life these days? Do you find it hard to fall asleep because you’re worried about the things on your to-do list tomorrow? Do you feel more discomfort than calm these days? If so, it could be time to think of the impact that avoiding self-care activities are having on your quality of life. It’s been shown that prioritizing self-care can help manage depression, anxiety, and burnout. Still, it can be so hard to make time for ourselves!
The good news is that there are some ways that you can take better care of yourself without making yourself more stressed in the process. Let’s take a look at a couple of tactics you can implement today.
Take care of your back or neck pain
Far too many Americans live with back or neck pain on a regular basis, and the truth is that this discomfort is simply unnecessary. You may be nervous about issues with your spinal cord or various vertebrae, and rightfully so—neck surgery is no joke. Still, before you start to read a cervical neck surgery recovery guide and research bone spurs, there are few things to do first. Seeing a physical therapist (and practicing those physical therapy exercises!) may have you feeling a whole lot better in the first week. The health of your spine should be a priority, so make time to see a professional. If you take care of your spine in time, you can probably manage whatever is going on with your vertebrae and discs with simple physical therapy and over-the-counter pain medication. This means you’ll avoid neck surgery altogether!
You don’t need a salon for a fabulous gel manicure
Bring the salon to your living room by ordering designs for gel nails online! It sounds crazy, but it’s not—you can get everything from a simple French manicure or single-color base coat to intricate nail art and ombre fingertips with rhinestones. Whatever gel nail design you’re craving can be ordered online and be applied with ease. If having a gorgeous manicure is what makes you feel like yourself, you can cross finding time to get your gel nails done right off your list.
Add yoga or meditation to your daily activities
You may be thinking that you need less to do, not more. While that’s undoubtedly true, the benefits of yoga or meditation to your overall well-being cannot be overstated. You can easily rid your life of discomfort and even numbness. Plus, even 10 minutes of yoga or meditation a day have been shown to relieve anxiety and depression. Not a fan of sitting and concentrating on your breath? Add a walking meditation practice to the short walks you take. Your overall health—both mental and physical—will benefit in a noticeable way. If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of yoga channels on YouTube and meditation apps on the App Store that can get you on the right track.
With a world that seems to be getting crazier every day, it can be hard to prioritize self-care, but it’s important nonetheless. Whatever it is that removes stress from your life, make sure you find time to take care of yourself. You deserve it.
