How would you rank your self-care routine currently? If you’re like many who feel the tendency to work around the clock due to their new work from home set-up or struggle to turn their brain off after a long day, revitalizing your self-care routine might just be what you need to navigate what many are calling “the new normal”.
There are many benefits to practicing self-care during a crisis. Mental health counselors have even started using self-care’s evident shift in mental energy, as a way to navigate the emotions that have come from living during this turbulent time. But where to start if you’re a self-care novice?
The first rule of practicing self-care is that there are no expectations or pressure. Many individuals going through a crisis are often tempted to assign themselves tasks or obligations that can eat away at their emotional energy. While we’re all for encouraging goal setting within a healthy lifestyle, the minute those pressures begin to detract from self-kindness, are when these common “self-care activities” become counterproductive.
What to do instead? Rather than thinking of self-care as ‘doing,’ view it as a shift in mindset—putting pressure on yourself to do something is the opposite of self-care. Self-care is meant to recharge your mental energy by completely focusing on your needs. This will help you feel more patient and respond better to difficult situations life throws at you.
To provide even more context around the science of self-care, the folks at Tommy John have broken down the 7 pillars of self-care as well as strategies to incorporate them into your day to day! Explore their visual below to create a self-care routine that works for you!
