By Guest Writer, Camille Johnson March 15, 2022
In the hustle of everyday life, we extend energy toward completing numerous tasks a day, whether it be work, travel, grocery shopping, and more. However, what always gets left on the back burner is self-care. While in the short-term you can put your head down and dedicate all your time to the necessities, soon it will catch up to you. While you may say, squeezing self-care into your busy routine isn’t easy, in reality, it is easier than you think! This article takes you through three tips you should follow to lead a happy and healthy life.
Venture Outdoors
While scrolling through social media in the comfort of your home may be your favorite pastime, according to research, it is also the leading cause of making individuals feel lonely, stressed, and in extreme cases depressed. If at the end of the day you feel that you didn’t achieve anything meaningful and spent another 24 hours being mundane, there’s a high chance it’s due to your social media use.
When using social media, individuals inherently make comparisons between the content and their own lives, making them feel inadequate and promoting FOMO (aka fear of missing out). To overcome this habit, it’s important to step outside your comfort zone and go outdoors, whether it’s for a walk, jog, or exercise.
As reported by the World Economic Forum, spending 10 minutes in nature promotes mindfulness, helping you forget about posts on social media and focus on the present. Incorporating exercise can help take this a step further. When we exercise, our body releases a variety of hormones such as endorphins, oxytocin, and dopamine which lead to a natural upliftment of mood, promote a sense of accomplishment and help regulate your sleep cycle.
Tackle Stress
Everyone faces numerous stressors each day, however, if you find yourself panicking and out of control at the slightest inconvenience, it’s a sign that you need to learn how to control stress. While it’s easier said than done, it’s an important skill to learn to improve your mood, productivity, and overall quality of life.
A major cause of stress is uncertainty, be it regarding your health, finances, family, etc. While it’s natural to keep thinking of the what-ifs, a better way to deal with uncertainties is to take control of your actions and make small steps towards making the situation better.
Break your uncertainties down into small parts. For instance, if you are stressed about not having enough savings for retirement, list down all the things you will need to reverse the situation. This can include learning about investing, connecting with a financial advisor, downloading a savings app, practicing how to create a budget, etc. Each day dedicate a set amount of time towards fulfilling these activities. As you complete each of these steps you will gain greater control over the situation, alleviate stress and feel happier.
The same holds true for your living space. If you find yourself struggling with clutter, disorganization or a generally unwelcoming vibe, it’s time to make a change. Clean everywhere, declutter and downsize your belongings, open the shades and consider adding new artwork or some new plants. When you meet your home stressors head on, you’ll have more control over your living space and how it affects you.
Chase Your Career Goals
Whether it be starting your business, aiming for a promotion, winning an award, or anything else, having a career goal will provide you the motivation to tackle challenges and work toward becoming better. However, if you find yourself in a job that does not contribute towards meeting those goals, it’s important to gather the courage and make a change. Making a career change is hard, but continuing to work a job that gives your stress can have numerous negative impacts on your health such as a loss of appetite, disturbed sleep patterns, mood swings, and more.
Before switching, create a list of expectations from your new position and how it will contribute to your goals. To improve your chances of landing a better, higher-paying position consider earning an online master’s degree. With the vocation being online, you can continue to earn while having the time to research new roles and improve your skills. Depending on your field, you can specialize in accounting, business management, healthcare, psychology, etc.
There’s an old adage that says “Dress for the job you want.” It’s not as simple as changing clothes to change careers, but how you dress does affect your mindset. With that in mind, look at your wardrobe and ask yourself, “Do I dress how I want to feel?” If you can’t answer yes, then make some changes.
The hardest part in implementing these changes will be to move outside your comfort zone and start. But, once you do, you can expect to feel happier, control stressors better, and be motivated towards achieving your goals.
This article is brought to you by Belle Meadows Fitness, specializing in fitness programs catering specifically to the needs of the senior community for over twenty years. For more information, please contact us today!
