Taking Care of You: 3 Simple Self Care Tips

In challenging times, take care of yourself. Here’s 3 self-care actions you can take today.

These days people are worried about so many things that relaxing or taking time for yourself seems foreign. We feel compelled to constantly monitor the news, pushing ourselves into a state of perpetual hypervigilance.

Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s time to take a break. It’s time to up your self-care game. That’s right, it’s time to take care of you.

Counteracting the Negativity

Subjecting yourself to a constant barrage of stressors is toxic, not just for you, but for your friends and loved ones.

If you’re giving off negative vibes, it affects your friends and family. They can pick up on your negativity and unconsciously take it on themselves. Not good for anyone.

But there's a remedy for all the negativity. No, it's not forced smiles or wishful positive thinking. It involves concrete actions and habits. Here are three ways to take charge and counteract the negativity...

News can be addicting. In fact, it’s scripted to hook you in. It exudes negativity, so much so that you may start to believe there’s nothing good happening in the world.

You see, there’s a mechanism in the brain called the reticular activating system. Its job is to help you focus on what’s important, and filter out what’s not. For example, if you’re hungry and walking down the street, you’ll notice restaurants but won’t notice drycleaners.

Exposing yourself to a lot of bad news trains your brain to seek out negativity and ignore positivity. Remember, the reticular activating system gets programmed to focus on what it believes is important. If media says negativity is important, that's what you'll focus on.

My suggestion is to reduce your news to 10 minutes a day, or even take a day off. Get it in print format instead of video. Check it at the same time everyday, never first thing in the morning and never right before bed.

Self-discipline around news intake is essential for your mental health.

Sunshine makes our bodies release endorphins, the “feel-good” hormones. Add a little bit of exercise and you release a potent cocktail of positive-vibe hormones and neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, to name just a few. These chemicals help regulate your mood and ward off stress.

Exercise also increases the production of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which can literally make you smarter. And who wouldn't like that?

Does your neighbor talk your ear off? Did you just get invited to yet another Zoom meeting? You have a right to say no. Guard yourself from the “energy vampires” that pop up in your life.

And by the way, you don’t need to feel guilty about saying no. Chances are, the people you say no to will get over it, or they won’t care at all.

Want to read more about self care? Check out my 5 Self-CareTips for Super Busy Professionals.

Still reluctant about increasing your self care? Feeling guilty about wanting to feel good when world events are not so good?

Think of what your best friend would advise you to do. They would want you to take care of yourself (hopefully!) and not be stuck in negativity. Maybe it's time to be more of a best friend... to yourself!