They say that when the breathing apparatus comes down in an aeroplane, you should put your mask on first before attending to others. This is a major lesson in the importance of self-care. When we go through a difficult time in life, we can neglect what we need. And if there are other people around you going through the same issue, the temptation to focus on them can stop you addressing the issues within yourself, but also contribute to your own self-neglect. Self-care is vital, it’s not being selfish. So let’s go through some of the methods that you can practice self-care during difficult times.
The Power Of Routine
As humans, we crave routine, and we all know when we deviated from it. We get twitchy, restless, and this is a very important thing to point out if you’re going through a difficult time. Temptation can be to throw all sense of normality out the window, but it’s sticking to some form of routines that will keep you focused. Giving yourself a break is important, but if you feel that you can function better by doing some of the normal things, it doesn’t just provide a healthy focus, but it gives you that energy in which to continue. Whether we’re going through a physically difficult time, or emotional trauma, you should never underestimate the power of a routine.
The Power Of Saying “I Need Help”
When we struggle in terms of our mental health, we can feel that we shouldn’t burden others with our problems. But the importance of saying that you need help can never be underestimated. In fact, it’s powerful. It doesn’t feel like it when we think about it in our minds, but it’s a sense of admitting that we need a little bit of extra support. This is something that we all know, deep down, but we are fearful of admitting it because we might be perceived as weak. But regardless of the help that’s out there, from drug addiction treatment to family support, professional counselling to a friendly face, when you say that you need help, it’s about understanding the aspects of self-care that you need a little bit of improvement on. Nobody’s perfect. And when we ask for help, it’s helping us share the burden.
The Power Of Setting A Plan
Whether it’s asking for help, or taking the initiative, setting up a plan gives you another ability to focus. Setting a plan can be misconstrued as avoiding the issue, but by looking at the situation, and being proactive in relation to it, you are able to focus your efforts on improving your abilities. Plans give you a purpose. And if you are going through a difficult time, and maybe it’s feeling like it’s never ending, setting a plan gives you that boot up the backside to get things in motion. Giving yourself a purpose will provide you with additional energy. When you feel helpless and unable to do anything, focusing your efforts into something that has a positive outcome really highlights the power of mind over matter.
The Power Of The Right Practices
Self-care is nothing without realising that these things have to be learnt habits. In the modern day, where people are reliant on quick fixes, the idea of giving something time to settle in is pretty much unheard of. By finding the right practices for you, but actually practising them, gives you that routine, but it’s also a perfect coping strategy. Some people feel that they can’t start their day without that coffee, and this is all they need. Others need to sit down and meditate, exercise, or do something that’s giving them some form of control over their day. It doesn’t have to be anything massive, but what’s important is about knowing that it sets you up for a good day. When going through a difficult time, these little practices can provide moments of comfort.
There is nothing more important than looking after us when undergoing stressful moments in life, but they don’t have to be massive tasks to tick off either. It could be as simple as ensuring you eat the right foods, getting enough sleep, or just having 30 minutes to yourself at the end of the day to decompress. We’re all different, but if we are undergoing stress in tumultuous amounts, we can’t underestimate what self-care will really do for us. And this doesn’t mean you’ve got to be selfish, because there’s a big difference between looking after yourself and being completely insular. When the breathing apparatus comes down, we’ve always got to put it on ourselves first.
