Taking the Time for Self-Care

By Tracey Dowdy

How many times have you sat down to watch your favorite show or stopped to play Legos with your kids but instead of relaxing, you kept running through the list of things you “should” be doing? For many of us, the answer to that question is, “Every time.” We live our lives at full speed and rarely take the time to stop and catch our breath.

Not only is it a bad idea for your physical health – stress has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes – it’s detrimental to your mental health as well.

How do you know if you’re starting to run on Empty? The American Institute of Stress has a list of 50 Common Signs and Symptoms of Stress. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, but if you find yourself saying, “Yep, that’s me,” again and again as you read the list, it’s time for life change.

You can start by putting aside those feelings of guilt for taking time to sit in a quiet space and read a book, go for a run, have a cup of tea, or watch an episode of “Friends” on Netflix. Regularly taking the time for a little self-care can have a profound impact on your overall health and well-being.

In an article for Psychology Today, Dr. Neal Burton says the next step is to come up with strategies for preventing, avoiding, or diffusing your stress. One of the most effective and easiest ways is through deep breathing. Breathe in through your nose and hold your breath for five seconds. Next, purse your lips and gradually let the air out on a seven count. Let out as much air as you can. Repeat, focusing on your breathing. Use your hands to motion in and out to help you concentrate.

You can also pair deep breathing with relaxation exercises. Begin by lying on your back, tighten the muscles in your toes for 10 seconds, and then relax them completely. Wait 10 seconds, and repeat. You can apply the same tense/release pattern to your feet, ankles, and calves until you work up to your head and neck.

Both these techniques stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system. Our sympathetic nervous system enables our “fight or flight” response, while the parasympathetic has the opposite effect by producing a feeling of calm and relaxation in both the mind and body. If your body is constantly stressed, the parasympathetic system can’t function properly, and your mental and physical health are impacted.

In conjunction with these relaxation techniques, look for long-term changes that will reduce your stress like practicing mindfulness and putting an end to multi-tasking. Easier said than done, I know. How long would it take for the wheels to fall off if you stopped multi-tasking? Perhaps it’s more practical to say, “Stop multitasking when you’re trying to relax.”

To practice what I preach, I set a single-screen rule for myself. More often than not, I found myself scrolling through my phone while watching TV. I wasn’t fully paying attention to either – no wonder it wasn’t refreshing or relaxing. Focus on the task at hand, whether it’s playing Barbies, Minecraft, or watching another episode of Stranger Things.

Learn to be present, take your time, and be proud of yourself for taking a break. Studies show that individuals who practice self-care improve their overall health, strengthen relationships, and live more fulfilling lives.

Now that’s something to stop and think about.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Comments:

  1. Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a
    great author.I will make sure to bookmark your blog and will come
    back in the future. I want to encourage yourself to continue your great work, have a nice afternoon!

  2. May I just say what a comfort to uncover an individual who
    actually knows what they are talking about on the internet.
    You actually understand how to bring a problem to light and
    make it important. A lot more people have to read this and understand this side of
    your story. I was surprised that you are not more popular
    because you surely possess the gift.

  3. For most recent information you have to pay a visit web and on world-wide-web I found this website
    as a finest website for most up-to-date updates.

  5. I am really inspired together with your writing skills as neatly as with the layout for your
    weblog. Is that this a paid subject matter or did you customize it yourself?

    Either way stay up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to peer a
    nice weblog like this one nowadays..

  7. Asking questions are in fact good thing if you are not understanding
    something completely, however this paragraph presents fastidious understanding yet.

  8. We are a gaggle of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
    Your web site provided us with helpful info to work on. You have
    done a formidable process and our entire neighborhood can be
    grateful to you.

  9. Howdy! This post could not be written any better!
    Reading through this post reminds me of my good old room mate!
    He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this article to him.
    Pretty sure he will have a good read. Many thanks for
    sharing!

  10. Do you have a spam problem on this website; I also am a blogger,
    and I was wondering your situation; many of us
    have created some nice practices and we are looking to exchange solutions with others, why not shoot
    me an e-mail if interested.

  12. I was recommended this web site by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody
    else know such detailed about my difficulty.
    You’re incredible! Thanks!

  15. I’m impressed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both equally educative and
    engaging, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head.
    The issue is an issue that too few men and women are speaking intelligently about.

    I am very happy that I came across this in my search for
    something concerning this.

  18. Simply desire to say your article is as astonishing. The
    clearness in your post is simply excellent and that i could assume you
    are an expert in this subject. Well along with your permission let me to take hold of your RSS feed to keep up to
    date with forthcoming post. Thanks 1,000,000 and
    please continue the enjoyable work.

  19. I reaslly like your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
    Did you design this website yourseelf or did you hiree someoine
    to do it for you? Plz answwer back ass I’m lookinhg
    to create my own blog and would like to find out where u ggot
    this from. cheers

    Here is my blog – top rated sex cams

  22. Thanks for your maarvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you may be a great author.I will bee sure to bookmark your blog and ill come back from now on. I want to encourage
    one to continue your great work, have a nice evening!

    My homepage; chaturbate.wtf

  23. My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find a lot of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for.
    can you offer guest writers to write content in your
    case? I wouldn’t mind publishing a post oor elaborating on most of the
    subjects you write rgarding here. Again, awesome blog!

    My website tatu-studiya.ru

  24. Hi! Quick question that’s entirely off topic.
    Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My weblog lioks weird when broqsing from
    my iphone4. I’m trying tto find a template or plugin that might be able to resolve thos issue.
    If you have any suggestions, please share. Appreciate it!

    Also visit my blog – sex cams homepage

  26. I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your blog.
    It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it
    much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme?
    Exceptional work!

  28. Olgun Hizmetçi İş Vereninin Sikini Emiyor.
    admin 1 sene ago. 214 Views 0 Comments 15 Likes. travesti
    ile lezbiyen sikiş arap alt yazi alt yazılı spor yaparken arkadan bakıcıyla sex ölecekti.

  29. 14 Yaşındaki Kuzenimi Siktim. Harika birşeydi böyle dar ve küçük götü sikmek bambaşkaydı.
    Yavaşça sikimi çıkardım ve kuzenden ona acı verdiğim için özür diledim.
    Ağlamıştı gözlerinden belli oluyordu. sex seven kızlar araym.
    Cevapla. arda tekin dedi ki: 6:17 pm.

  31. May I just say what a comfort to uncover someone
    that genuinely knows what they are talking about online.
    You actually understand how to bring a problem to light
    and make it important. A lot more people must look at
    this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you are not more popular because you definitely have the gift.

  35. I’ve been surfing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours.
    It’s pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all site
    owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be a lot
    more useful than ever before.

  37. Hi, I do believe this is a great web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will return once again since I book-marked it.
    Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may
    you be rich and continue to help others.

  38. Howdy just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the images aren’t loading correctly.
    I’m not sure why but I think its a linking
    issue. I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same results.

  40. Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied
    on the video to make your point. You definitely know what youre talking about,
    why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your
    weblog when you could be giving us something
    informative to read?

  41. Ahaa, its pleasant conversation regarding this paragraph at this place at
    this webpage, I have read all that, so now me also commenting here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended Articles

How to Improve Your Instagram Photos

Parenting Teens in a Digital World

How To Get More From Alexa

Simple and Healthy Intentions for 2018

Did You Like or Follow Fake Accounts on Facebook?

Use Snooze to Filter Your Facebook Feed