“The best investment you can make is in yourself. Self-care, self-love and self-development. Give more to yourself and you will have more to give to others.” – Akiroq Brost

Isn’t it true? But how often do we forget to be a little lenient with our own selves, to practice self-care and be little more forgiving of our limitations?

I don’t know about you but I often find myself struggling to find some ‘Me Time’, struggling to focus on myself. But I find the time nevertheless. Truth is, I need a few minutes every single day to be just with myself, do the things I love and alone too, to be able to deal with the expectations of this thing called life. This is the time which is non-negotiable. This is the time when self-care assumes top priority.

“Be you, love you. All ways, always.”  ― Alexandra Elle

We often relegate ourselves to the end of the line in terms of priority because there is always something more important to do. And I get that. I get that there is always someone or something wanting our attention and time. I also know that it is not possible to stop doing everything and just focus on self-care. What I’m saying is to focus on self-care in spite of that.

Believe me when I say that I too wish for more hours in a day to do the things that need to be done and within time. But that’s not possible, is it? If getting a consensus on, say, a party venue is so difficult, imagine convincing everyone to increase the hours in a day. No, not going to happen. The only way, therefore, is to circumvent it and still practice self-care.

Today, I share with you ways in which we can practice self-care. These are simple, doable things that this working mom does and which I’m sure you can incorporate into your lives too.

Ways to Practice Self-Care

Listen to Music

Music heals. It replenishes the soul. Every time I find some alone time, I play some music, preferably instrumental, and get on with whatever chore I have to do. Music has this stealthy quality makes you feel good before you know. So, listen to some music on your iPod or the radio for a few minutes every day. It is one of the best and simplest ways of self-care.

Go for a Walk

Now, let me be honest with you, I don’t go for walks often. I hardly do. I really need to be feeling very low to actually think of taking a walk. And I have done that a handful of times and each time I have come back feeling a little better. There is no magic potion but it does help. The fresh air gives you a fresh perspective. And what better way to self-care than that?

Writing & Journaling

For those who like putting pen to paper, this is a sure shot way to feel lighter. Every time something bothers me, I pen down my thoughts. Some get published on the blog while others remain in drafts but writing gets a lot of the negativity out of my system. And that is a must for self-care, isn’t it? You can’t possibly be kind to yourself if you keep seething in negativity.

Talk to someone

We all need someone to talk to at some point in time or the other. It might not even be about the things bothering you. It could be just silly banter between friends. But just that process of talking to someone is therapeutic. Apart from my family, there are times when talking nonsense with colleagues gets me through a bad day or mood.

Focus on your Hobby

Yes, do what you love doing even if it’s for a few minutes a day. If reading makes you happy, read. If traveling gives you pleasure, do that. Whatever it may be, do something that gives you joy and which is not a part of your job or responsibility. Do something for pleasure.

These are just five simple ways in which I try to make use of the time I get for myself, even if they are just five to ten minutes a day. The bottom line is I need to be happy to do everything else that I need to, to take care and be there for my loved ones. It’s not much and sometimes it’s good to be slightly selfish to be selfless where required.

What do you say? Any tips you would like to share?

Pic Credit | By ESB Professional via Shutterstock