Dr. Candace McMillon-Dantley is the health-empowering creator of The Doc Knows and she’s on a mission to motivate you to a life of health. She has a Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences. When she’s not health writing, she is health motivating and educating during her interactive presentations on healthy nutrition, self-care and conditions of the body. Her experiences as a business owner, chiropractor, wife and mom of two resonate and relate with her audiences. Connect with Dr. Candace on Instagram @drcandace.
With depression being at an all-time high, we are having more conversations on the importance of self-care. It’s not surprising that many busy women find it difficult to put self-care into action. Juggling the demands of life can make doing something for yourself, on purpose, seem quite impossible. It doesn’t have to be, ladies!
Follow these 5 tips to start practicing self-care today.
1. Put YOU on Your Schedule
From meetings at work to conferences with your kids’ teachers, undoubtedly you are busy. Self-care is about deliberately adding your name to your calendar of events. After you’ve penciled yourself in, you aren’t allowed to cancel until further notice.
Self-care should be a regular part of your routine. Start by aiming to do something that will re-energize your body, mind or soul at least once a week. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of time or be anything elaborate. It can be anything! You can go catch your favorite movie or just sit in the park and take in the fresh air for 30 minutes. Listen to what your body needs and make the time to provide it for yourself.
2. Say “No” More Often
If you’re a busy woman, you probably think that saying “no” will cause the world to go up in flames. Well, guess what? Saying “no” is not the end of the world and not saying it enough could actually be hindering you from living your best life.
There’s only so much time in a day and if you’re spending most of it saying “yes” to every demand, chances are you’re neglecting yourself. I know, I know…your heart can’t bear disappointing anyone. So what can you do?
You can set boundaries and know your limits regarding your relationships at home and work. Boundaries allow you to say, “I can’t do this for you every day, but I can do it twice a month.” To be successful at saying “no”, you must take the time to be honest with yourself about your feelings and needs.
3. Take Care of Your Physical Needs
This sounds like a simple one, but it can be difficult for the busy woman to take care of herself. If you put off doctor’s appointments or skip out on exercise for “more important things”, you’re putting your health on the back burner. It’s not just about how you look, but it’s about being healthy. You must make a conscious choice to take care of you.
What does that look like? It could be as simple as eating at a restaurant that serves food that won’t put you at risk for diabetes instead of the one with only fried food options. In order to take care of yourself, you must evaluate what your body needs. Seeing your doctor on a regular basis will help you discover this.
4. Organize Your Life
This is a tough one. Especially if you have kids who have yet to put the words to the “Clean Up” song into action. Getting organized will give you more time to take care of you and prevent the stress that comes with always losing your car keys.
Having systems in place for completing household chores or preparing meals in advance can free you up to practice self-care. To avoid getting frustrated with this task, you may need the help of a professional organizer or organize one area of your life at a time until it’s complete.
5. Love Yourself
It may sound cliché, but self-love is the best love. Loving you means accepting your flaws, acknowledging your feelings, and knowing that you don’t owe perfection to anyone. Give yourself permission to be who you are.
Making changes or improving yourself should not be dictated by others. This will bring unwanted stress and disappointments into your life. Self-love is necessary to stay on the path of self-care.
Practicing self-care doesn’t mean you are being selfish or inconsiderate of others. Self-care allows us to give the very best version of ourselves. Ladies, we must do better by ourselves and make self-care a top priority!
Sundays are the most important days of the week. While other days are made for working, stressing over responsibilities, and other forms of productivity, Sundays are made for you and you only. Self-care Sundays.
This is the day you reset and prepare for the next week. This is the day when you prioritize your mental and overall physical health. Here are a few things that your self-care Sunday should consist of.
The number one thing to engage in on Sundays is rest. Whatever resting looks like for you is exactly what you should do on Sundays. While Friday nights and Saturdays were likely your hangout days, Sunday should be the weekend day you devote to taking care of yourself.
The next day will be full of classes, assignments, work, and surprises; therefore, you want to make sure you are well-rested for whatever may come on the next day.
Sleeping isn’t the only form of resting, though it is an excellent and effective form of rest. However, there are other ways of resting, and rest looks different for everyone.
Rest may look like laying down, eating snacks, watching a movie or watching all your favorite shows. Or maybe your rest looks like yoga or meditation. Regardless of circumstances, you should always take a break from focusing on responsibilities to rest your mind and body.
Our physical health is just as important as our mental health. We all have routines specific to our bodies and health, from shower routines to before and after shower routines.
For instance, exfoliating is a very important part of our healthcare. Maybe you have a detailed skin routine, facial cleansing, and mask that you do only once a week. Maybe this is the day you wash your hair, oil your hair, and style your hair for the upcoming week.
Any scheduled weekly routine you engage in is perfect for self-care Sunday!
Part of the preparation is cleaning. Many underestimate the gravity of cleanliness. Not only does it keep your area smelling good and avoid dirty space, but it also increases your motivation.
With a clean space, you can do many things. Cleaning doesn’t only include your room but also your drawers and book bags that may have gotten a little junky from the week before.
Keeping these items clean will keep you organized, and you can be assured that you will be less likely to lose motivation if your belongings and space are clean.
Preparing for the week is very important. Planning out your week can make your week go by much smoother, increase your productivity, and keep you motivated. There are a few things that go into preparing for the upcoming week.
The first step to preparing is marking your agency with tasks you may complete and events you may have to attend. Jotting down your work schedule if you work, your assignment due dates for the week, and the days you will start on assignments can be very helpful.
Furthermore, preparing may include getting your bags and backpacks together for the next week. As we mentioned, you may have to clean out your bags from the previous week.
Everyday life is hard to navigate with the ways of the world swallowing you. You may feel suffocated by the many responsibilities you have. That’s why if you can’t find ways to implement things you love to do into your schedule daily, you should make Sunday just for you.
Maybe you’ve been dying to give yourself a manicure and pedicure. Maybe you have been dying to start reading an inspirational book, or painting is your passion, and you’ve wanted to paint your favorite TV show character.
You have probably considered these things but are struggling to find or make the time. We encourage you to make Sunday the day for exploring new hobbies, homing in on your craft, resting, and caring for yourself mentally and physically.
This Sunday, focus on yourself and do what you love before returning to work! I hope that each of these was helpful to you. As your next self-care Sunday approaches, we want you to be mindful of yourself and what you must do to feel whole.
Think of the things that matter most to you and make you feel good. These are the things you should implement in your Sunday schedule.
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