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When was the last time you took care of yourself? No, I’m not talking about the 2 creams, 3 lotions, and 40 minutes of daily makeup that society dictates to you.
I’m talking about real selfish pleasures, those that we no longer take the time to enjoy, too busy stressing for X or Y reason. So stop abusing your body and mind at a breakneck pace!
Today, I offer you 10 things to do to really take care of yourself.
1- Take a break
A sharp break in the exhausting rhythm can do a lot of good. Family, friends, work… as exciting as your daily life can be, leaving it aside for a few moments will be beneficial to you.
Get away from it all for a few hours. Cut the internet and the phone, find yourself in a quiet place, conducive to fullness.
Whether you’re gazing at the stars and imagining their history, listening to your favorite music, or letting the waves rocking, what matters is letting go for good.
2- cook for yourself
Frozen butter and cordon bleu shells come in handy when you’re in a hurry. But indulging yourself at least twice a week with a real meal is no luxury.
Use fresh products that you are particularly fond of, get into the kitchen and cook up one of your favorite dishes. In addition to the pleasure of the taste buds, you will have the satisfaction of having produced this masterpiece yourself.
3- Be playful
If in children, play is called a vital activity, in adults it is often overlooked. Even though we play, our activities are often rationalized (we have a goal to achieve, a logic to respect).
Thus, we do not let the playful side explode. Role-playing games, construction games, board games… all are nevertheless excellent for us! They are often accompanied by laughter, sometimes with a certain personal satisfaction, and constantly stimulate our creativity.
4- Recharge your batteries in the heart of nature
Nature echoes our deep instinct and we always feel in our element. Forest walks and mountain expeditions have more benefits than you might think. The natural elements help us to expel stress, anxiety, depression and other negative feelings.
The sea, for example, will help you get back to sleep thanks to its clean air, while a little swim will allow you to replenish your minerals and trace elements.
5- Dare the forbidden pleasures
This cheat meal of your dreams, this day of procrastination that have been mirroring for months, this concert, this show, this new book by Maxime Chattam… treat yourself to them!
There is no point in blaming yourself for the slightest pleasure you give yourself, life is made to be lived. Also give yourself the means to please yourself: clothes, hairdresser, care… you deserve them!
6- Do good around you
A very true adage from Nicolas Chamfort says: giving is a more lasting pleasure than receiving because the one who gives is the one who remembers the longest.
So be generous, know how to offer without waiting in return, you will be doing yourself a favor. Little attentions, unforeseen gifts, free compliments… the possibilities are endless!
7- Know how to say yes when
Don’t be ashamed or afraid to say yes to what life has to offer. Too often we hesitate, we procrastinate in the face of a situation which, although tempting, frightens us.
“I don’t really know”, “we’ll see later”, or “what if it was not good? Are typical manifestations of irrational indecision when faced with a tempting proposition. Refuse self-exclusion and let yourself be seduced by the suggestions that arouse your curiosity.
From now on, a maybe is a yes, that’s it!
8- Know how to refuse
If daring to say yes to what makes you tick is a good thing, do not fall into the other extreme: never to say no, you neglect yourself. Fear of conflict, judgment, rejection, the causes are many.
In professional life, the inability to say no is one of the main causes of burnout. On a personal level, the results are the same: if you are always looking to please, you forget your own needs.
Learning to say no to others is therefore a way of saying yes to yourself: we keep a wide open eye on our own desires so as not to be overwhelmed by those of others.
9- Externalize your emotions out of sight
Society has formatted us in such a way that it is sometimes impossible to express our feelings in public. Rather than exploding internally, nothing prevents you from doing it in private!
Crying, screaming with hatred or joy, expressing your annoyances and desires alone in front of yourself is a very healthy and liberating process.
You can even verbalize your feelings. Conversely, repressing what you feel is like lying to yourself and ultimately leads to chronic discomfort.
10- Take the time …
As the fox says in The Little Prince: “we only know the things we tame. Men no longer have the time to know anything “. Prove it wrong! Take the time to tame your environment, to live in the moment for as long as it needs to last.
We are conditioned to be productive, efficient, efficient… sometimes, you have to know how to say stop. Happiness does not depend on the number of activities contained in your day but on the satisfaction that each brings you.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is quite easy to take care of yourself with little daily attentions, you just have to seize the surrounding opportunities.
Note that “blocking out a window to take care of yourself” is an anti-productive technique that generates more stress than anything else.
The attitude to adopt is more holistic: it is your overall lifestyle that must be impacted, so dare to grant yourself these privileged moments as soon as you feel like it.