Self Care Activities For a Bad Day

What Is Self Care?

Self care has been defined as “a multidimensional, multifaceted process of purposeful engagement in strategies that promote healthy functioning and enhance well-being.” Essentially, the term describes a conscious act a person takes in order to promote their own physical, mental, and emotional health.

There are many forms self-care can take. It could be ensuring you get enough sleep every night or stepping outside for a few minutes for some fresh air.

Self care is vital for building resilience toward those stressors in life that you can’t eliminate. When you’ve taken steps to care for your mind and body, you’ll be better equipped to live your best life.

Unfortunately, however, many people view self-care as a luxury, rather than a priority. Consequently, they’re left feeling overwhelmed, tired, and ill-equipped to handle life’s inevitable challenges.

It’s important to assess how you’re caring for yourself in several different domains so you can ensure you’re caring for your mind, body, and spirit.

Why Is Self Care Important?

Having an effective self care routine has been shown to have a number of important health benefits. Some of these include:

– Reducing anxiety and depression
– Reducing stress and improving resilience
– Improving happiness
– Increasing energy
– Reducing burnout
– Stronger interpersonal relationships

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self care is important because it can help promote health, prevent disease, and help people better cope with illness.

Specific forms of self care have also been linked to different health and wellness benefits, including a longer life. Exercise, finding a sense of purpose in life, and sleep have all been connected to an increased lifespan.

When you have a bad day, you might find that you want to grab a drink or eat something unhealthy. But these are not healthy habits to have. A better option is to work on yourself care activities, which can make you feel better and will be good for you at the same time.

Watch Something Funny

Don’t underestimate the power of laughing! If you are having a terrible day, find a way to watch TV or a movie that makes you laugh. Avoid action, drama, and other genres that might make you feel miserable by the end. Binge watch your favorite comedy on Netflix, or turn on the TV to try something new. Laughing is extremely healing and can quickly change your mood even after the very worst of days.

Get Out of the House

Some people prefer staying inside and watching Netflix for self care, while others already spend a lot of time indoors. If this is you, then getting out to socialize and meet up with friends might be a better option. When you find yourself doing nothing but working and going home, you may simply need another outlet. Try meeting co-workers for drinks after work or calling up a sister or cousin to have a girl’s night out. Get a little bit out of your comfort zone and it can be very good for you.

Spend More Time with Friends and Family

As mentioned briefly in the previous section, spending more time with your loved ones can be great for self care. Many people think being alone is the only way to take care of themselves and relieve stress, but sometimes the best thing for you is being around others. Think about your daily lifestyle and what tends to stress you out. You might find that you feel worse when you are constantly alone, but your mood seems to lift on happy hour night or when visiting your best friend. This is a good sign that what you really need is to get out and spend more time with others.

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Meditate For 10 Minutes

On a really bad day, try to have at least a short meditation session. Even if you can’t find a few minutes where you are alone, you can think of other places you might be alone and able to meditate, like when you are going on a walk or run, or while taking a shower.