The first step to taking care of yourself is to understand why taking care of yourself is so important.
To some, the notion of taking care of oneself may seem a little egregious, or you may even think that it is just not worth the effort.
This is so far away from the truth.
Not only will taking care of yourself improve your general satisfaction with life, but it will also allow you to excel in other areas too.
When you feel good and you are healthy, you have more resources to expend on other projects.
Whether it be starting a business, getting your dream body, or having a better relationship with your family, taking care of yourself is a meta-skill that will help you exponentially across multiple areas of your life.
Conversely, the results of not taking care of yourself can be rather dire.
From experiencing health problems to becoming more prone to developing mental health issues like depression or anxiety, not taking care of yourself can have detrimental effects in the long term.
This is important to understand. Whether you do it for yourself, for the people around you, or to achieve your goals, taking care of yourself is of tremendous importance, and the ways it will help you in life are endless.
Let’s take a look at how you can take better care of yourself.
Exercise
At this point, you are probably tired of people telling you to exercise.
Almost every “taking care of yourself checklist” you come across is going to have exercise listed as the most beneficial action you can take, and there is a good reason why this is the case.
There are endless studies documenting the benefits of exercise, so much so that people who exercise often live longer than those who don’t. They also get to experience good health into an older age.
But even throwing away the future, there are so many benefits to exercise that make it a must if you want to take care of yourself.
From boosting mood and reducing the risk of different kinds of cancers to keeping your bones strong and healthy, exercising is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
On top of this, you have a ton of choice when it comes to what kind of exercise you want to do.
You don’t have to start a full-on weightlifting routine if you don’t want to (although this is something we would recommend).
You could go for a jog, ride your bike for a few miles, do some skipping, hit a punching bag, or even just go for a brisk walk.
Whatever you choose to do; getting some exercise is one of the most important parts of taking care of yourself, and you will thank yourself a million times over way down the line.
Eat Healthily & Drink Lots of Water
Next up, we have eating healthily and drinking lots of water. Once again, these two points are incredibly simple, yet they both have the potential to change your life in a plethora of ways.
Sure, eating healthily and drinking lots of water might not sound too interesting. They certainly are not industry secrets.
However, as is often the case, the simplest things usually have the biggest impact.
Simply changing your diet around so you eat less junk food and more fruit and veg is going to improve your health, give you more energy, make you less tired, and increase your day-to-day happiness.
Drinking lots of water also shares most of these effects, as well as making your hair and skin look and feel more healthy.
Of course, we are not saying that you can never eat chocolate or cake again.
Just try to increase the amount of fruit and veg you eat and aim to only eat take out or junk food on the odd occasion.
While it may seem simple, fixing your diet and drinking more water are two of the best things you can do for yourself.
Have a Goal to Work Towards
So far, we have only talked about physical changes.
This is done purposefully – making physical changes is a lot more measurable than making mental changes.
However, that’s not to say that how you think and feel is not important.
On the contrary; how you feel on a daily basis can have an enormous difference on your overall health.
Luckily, there is a simple way that you can boost your mood and life satisfaction; you need to have a goal to work towards.
Purpose and meaning are incredibly important for humans.
Not only does it give us more satisfaction and happiness, but it also allows us to deal with tough times much better.
You’ve heard the saying; the man who has a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how’.
The latter part of this is especially important, as everyone has to go through rough patches throughout life. It is just a part of the human experience.
By having a goal to work towards, you can minimise the effects of these rough times while also increasing your happiness and life satisfaction on a day-to-day basis, and this makes this point incredibly important.
But what happens if you have no goals? Well, this is incredibly unlikely, if not impossible.
Unless you are in an extremely dire situation, there will be things that you want.
Whether it be to get in shape, start a website, have children, get a house, or even make enough money to put food on the table, you should always have a goal that you are actively working towards.
If you don’t, then just have a think about some realistic things you could do that would make your life better.
It’s also worth noting that as soon as you accomplish your goal, you should set a new one. You see, actually accomplishing the goal isn’t the point.
The majority of the satisfaction you get from completing a goal is during the process, not the actual achievement.
If you want to take care of yourself, you need something to work towards. Humans just function much better when we have an end goal in mind.
Treat Yourself from Time to Time
While having discipline is essential for living a happy and successful life, it’s also important to treat yourself from time to time.
The normal stresses of everyday life can take their toll on even the most stoic of us, and finding some relief by treating ourselves can help reignite that flame inside of us that we once had.
Whether it just be having a lazy day where you just sit down and watch your favourite movies all day or a cheat day where you indulge all of your favourite foods, you would be surprised at how refreshing it can be to just let yourself do what you want for once.
Of course, there needs to be a balance. If you decide to have a lazy day every day, it won’t be long until you are fired from your job and your girlfriend begins rethinking her priorities.
However, if you work incredibly hard for a month and think you would benefit greatly from having a recharge day, then go right ahead.
Treating ourselves from time-to-time isn’t weak – it is a strategy that will allow us to perform even better in the long run. There’s also the added benefit of being happier and less stressed.
Everyone should treat themselves from time to time, and once you realise that it is completely fine to do so, and in fact, beneficial, your life will improve dramatically.
Socialise
Being independent is one of the best attributes you can have.
However, that’s not to say you shouldn’t socialise.
Being social has been proven to have a ton of benefits, and people who don’t socialise on a regular basis are more prone to depression, anxiety, as well as a range of other complications.
There have even been studies that show that people who very rarely socialise tend to die sooner than those who do.
We are not saying that you have to suddenly change your whole personality and become the life of the party everywhere you go.
If you are an introvert, this is completely fine.
However, you should still make an effort to see your friends and family, or to participate in local communities and groups.
Even something as simple as communicating online with a friend or talking in a discord community can help, and it can also provide you with a sense of belonging and community.
One of the biggest parts of taking care of yourself is building strong relationships with those around you, and while it is true that you should never rely on anyone, having people around that make your life better is going to be well within your best interests.
Taking Care Of Yourself – FAQs
How to Care for Yourself?
To take care of yourself, you should eat healthily, drink lots of water, exercise, have a goal to work towards, and socialise.
It is also essential to treat yourself from time to time, as this can reduce stress and anxiety.
What Comes From Not Taking Care of Yourself?
Not taking care of yourself can lead to bad health, mental issues like depression and anxiety, and feelings of low self-worth.
This is why taking care of yourself is a must for living a happy, healthy life.
How to Look After Yourself?
Learning how to look after yourself involves learning how to eat healthy, exercising, socialising, and having something to work towards.
Taking these steps will improve your health and overall satisfaction with life.
How to do Self Care?
Self care is all about realsing the importance of taking care of yourself.
By doing things like exercising, goal-setting, socialising, and eating healthy, you will be doing self care.
We hope you put the information we have told you to good use! While you likely have a ton of responsibilities in life, you should always look after yourself first.
Not only will this allow you to live a happier life, but it will also allow you to take better care of those around you.
Once you know how to look after yourself, the world truly does become your oyster. It’s going to take some work, but taking care of yourself should be one of your top priorities.
If you would like more tips on how to do self care, don’t be afraid to take a look at the rest of the content we have at MovingForwards.
