Do not forget yourself: 5 tips to take care of yourself

Have you noticed when hearing the safety procedures on board the plane before take-off the need to put on your oxygen mask first before helping others? Taking care of oneself is so important that you don't think it's a luxury, selfishness, or something you can do without. Your physical and psychological state is reflected in your daily life activities. Neglecting self-care exposes you and those around you to many problems. If you are a mother or even a working woman and you have marital responsibilities, you may find it difficult to provide the time needed to take care of yourself. Some of us are used to caring for others but do not master the art of self-care. Do you wish to take care of yourself but don't know where to start? Follow the lines of this article, which may help you in simple steps to form a self-care habit so that your cup is filled with comfort, safety and happiness and you have enough for the others as well.

1. Learn to say "no"

Much of the daily stress comes from your inability to refuse things you don't have the energy or time to do. In our Arab societies, we have been raised to believe that the word "no" is an unpopular word. You should set the boundaries that work for you, don't be shy about refusing to go out to a place you don't like or refusing a service you're not ready to provide. Don't be shy about refusing to be with uncomfortable or tired people. Yes, it is sometimes embarrassing, but your peace and security are more important. Your time is precious and shouldn't be wasted with the wrong people or in places you don't need to visit. Your needs and those of your family come as a priority. Not all daily activities are obligatory, so learn to differentiate between what to do, even if it's unpleasant, and what can be rejected.

2- Physical care

We often hear about the importance of taking care of our health, but many neglect these tips under the pretext of lack of time. Did you feel helpless while you were sick? You shouldn't wait for that moment to appreciate the importance of taking care of your health. Don't give up 10 minutes in the morning a day of watching home exercises. You don't need to visit the gym, YouTube allows you to exercise at home very easy to choose the right period for you. You can scale and start with five minutes a day. Walk around the house with a special bottle of water that helps you keep track of how much water you drink every day. Proper nutrition is one of the biggest challenges. Eating a balanced diet and eating meals on time is especially a big challenge if you are a mother. What you can't do is no excuse to ignore everything else. If you have to delay your meals, at least eat fruit and stay away from fatty meals. If you need to snack due to lack of time, try to make them nuts or grains and yogurt or fruit mix. If you feel sick, don't postpone a visit to the doctor and make it a priority of your day. Know that most serious health problems began with simple complaints that were ignored for a long time.

3- Psychological care

Daily life is not free from stressors and problems, whether at the family level, work problems, stress resulting from relationships or even internal conflicts. We often try to suppress these mixed emotions instead of expressing them healthily. Concealment of feelings and pressures leads to depression and many health problems resulting from incompatibility with society or the surrounding environment. There are many healthy ways to relieve these pressures, choose from them what suits you and makes you feel better, comfortable and happy.

Monologues or meditation, observing nature from the balcony or listening to soothing music, writing a journal and practicing relaxation techniques or even watching your favorite series or practicing a favorite hobby such as reading for even ten minutes a day can relieve you of stress and help you relax. Remember not to feel guilty about carving out this daily time for yourself as the necessary charge for your daily energy so you can keep going.

Cosmetic care is also within the scope of psychological care, when you take some care on your skin and hair, you are giving yourself a boost of feeling good. 10 minutes a day before bed of skincare with a weekly "once a week" routine to take care of your hair and skin is not a big deal but it has a very effective effect on your mood and mentality.

4- Take care of your social relationships

Man is a social animal, we are created with the ability to communicate with others and from those relationships we learn a lot of social skills. The problem is balancing those relationships with the tasks of our daily lives. Dedicating part of the day to checking on family members or a friend is not a luxury. Don't drown in trying to communicate with everyone at the same time and learn to set boundaries. All our energy should not be absorbed in anxiety, sadness, or turmoil due to getting into the details of other people's lives. We must set limits for the intervention of others in our lives and set limits for ourselves as well. Anything beyond its normal limit is considered unhealthy and harmful. Set the time for interviews and phone communication at a reasonable rate every day and learn when to stop.

5- Taking care of your mind

We often suffer from forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating and many mental problems despite our young age. Remember that the mind is also a muscle whose exercise should not be neglected. Mind exercise is not just about reading books, we have become fortunate to have modern technology at our fingertips that has made mindfulness exercise easy and available. You can hear read books or podcasts while doing household chores. You can play some phone games from those that activate memory functions.

Set small goals that will help stimulate your brain. If you have the time, learn new skills through free websites or sites that offer short courses that do not require attendance or punctuality. The world is in your hands, do not hesitate to exploit it.