6 Self-Care Ideas to Feel More Energized and Productive
Imagine starting each morning feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to conquer whatever’s on your plate that day. While we all have good days and bad days, self-care can help us be more intentional about creating more good days.
The reason we often get to a point of stress, burnout, or exhaustion is because we’re so busy taking care of others first that we don’t even think twice about our own wellness.
Self-care, like mindfulness, is something that becomes easier with practice. You may have to remind yourself of the importance of it over and over again before your self-care routines become a habit.
But once you start seeing how much more energized and productive you feel because of your self-care routines, you’ll be even more excited about finding new ways to care for the treasure that you are! If you’re looking for new self-care ideas beyond the basics (like nutrition, exercise, meditation), you’re in the right place.
I’ve put together 6 ideas to help you keep this year strong and energized!
1. Start the morning off right with a happy playlist
How you start your morning often determines the rest of your day. If there’s only one self-care practice you implement every day, let it be this: create a healthy morning routine that gets you feeling energized, vibrant, and happy.
Perhaps mornings are when you do your meditation or mindfulness practice, journaling, or exercise. You may also be taking care of some basic things around the house in addition to getting ready for the day.
To make your morning routines more enjoyable, put together a playlist of your favorite music to play in the background. Whether listening to your favorite song from the 80s while preparing breakfast or enjoying the soft tunes of a piano as you journal, music can shift your mood in an instant and give you a mental boost for the rest of the day ahead.
Do you want to listen to my top 3 favorite songs? I was a guest on my friends podcast, My Three Songs, listen to it here!
2. Enhance your sleep with a bedtime routine
While you’re sleeping, your body has a chance to flush out toxins, repair tissues, and process knowledge and emotions from the day. This is why sleep is super important to our health. Yet for some of us, it’s not always easy to get enough of it – or to get the quality of sleep we need.
To improve the quality of your sleep, revisit your bedtime routine. Make it something to look forward to. Create a cozy environment in your bedroom – whether that means lighting some candles, reorganizing furniture, or investing in new bedding. If you like to read before bed, put a book on your nightstand to help you look forward to reading.
Give yourself a time to power down every night and stick to it. Most sleep doctors recommend powering off electronic devices an hour or two before bed. Electronic devices emit blue light which interferes with the production of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin. So create a bedtime routine that excludes your electronic devices after a certain time.
If you would like to try a guided Deep Sleep Meditation, check out our Youtube channel!
3. Practice mindful breathing throughout the day
Your breath is the foundation for how energy moves through your body. It affects your nervous system which then affects your other organs and systems.
When your breath is calm, your body knows that it’s safe to relax. When your breathing is fast and shallow, your body feels tense and your mind is racing. This is a feedback loop. It’s also a prime example of the connection between your mind and body. What you do to one inevitably affects the other.
One of the best ways to care for yourself mentally and physically is to make mindful breathing a part of your daily practice. Set a goal for practicing a technique similar to the one below at least 3 times a day or find a breathwork practice that works best for you.
Mindful breathing technique for even the busiest days
Set a timer for a short period of time such as 1, 3, or 5 minutes.
Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight.
Close your eyes or soften your gaze downward in front of you.
Take a deep breath in through your nostrils. Pay attention to the sensation of the breath going into your nostrils and then into your lungs.
Notice the short space between your inhalation and exhalation. How’s your body feeling? Allow yourself to notice these sensations without judgment, but with kindness and compassion.
Exhale either through your nose or through pursed lips. Imagine any stress being released as you breathe out.
Repeat until the timer goes off. Get back to whatever you were doing, but now feeling more relaxed and centered.
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
The beautiful thing about your breath is that it’s always there. Whether you’re experiencing a joyful or stressful situation, you can always center yourself by coming back to your breath. Here is an Awareness of Breath Meditation to get you started.
4. Set a timer for frequent stretch breaks while working
When you’re in the middle of a work project or doing something around the house, it’s easy to lose track of time. You get so focused on what you’re doing that next thing you know, several hours have passed. Your body’s feeling the effects all throughout.
If you work in front of a computer, your shoulders or back might be tense from all the sitting. If your work involves physical movement, perhaps your feet or back are hurting. While getting a massage can relieve this tension afterwards, one way to prevent longer-term aches is to take frequent stretch breaks.
Set a timer for every 90 minutes to take a quick 5-10 minute break to stretch. Walk around. Get some fresh air if you can go outside. Roll your shoulders. Stretch your neck. Do some lunges. You could even find a short Youtube “chair yoga” or “office stretches” video to follow along to. Listen to your body and move it in a way that feels right for you.
5. Express your creative side often
You may not think of the importance of creativity when it comes to self-care and wellness. But research shows that being creative can increase positive moods, reduce stress, and even boost your immune system.
When you do creative things that you enjoy and that are challenging enough to help you grow, you enter a state of flow. Feel-good hormones are released. You get the feeling of fulfillment and joy just from doing the activity. This also takes your mind off ruminating thoughts and worries and can result in new solutions to problems.
Whether your favorite creative activity is art, music, writing, photography, or dance, set a date with your creative muse at the same time every week. You can do this by yourself or find a class in your area and bring some friends to express your creativity together.
Download this free workbook to help yourself find inspiration and creativity, “My Time to Shine.”
6. Stay connected to your future vision
Don’t let your big-picture life planning get lost amidst the daily hustle. Remind yourself of the future you’re wanting to create at least once a week. Your goals and dreams are meant to be a guiding star so you know you’re intentionally creating a life of meaning every day.
When you know what you want and have clear intentions, it’s much easier to advance towards that vision of your happiest self. Dedicate a time each week to focus on planning or adjusting a certain aspect of your life. You can designate life categories such as:
Physical and mental health
Creativity and leisure
Family and parenting
Social life and relationships
Personal growth
Finances and career
Consider setting a future you date every weekend for an hour. If there’s something in your life that isn’t working, research how others are dealing with similar topics. Stuck on a work or business project? Google what others in the field have done. Having a hard time meditating? Find a qualified meditation or mindfulness teacher to help. Keep track of your thoughts, goals, and progress in these beautiful handcrafted journals.
Whatever your vision of your ideal future is, remember that taking the time to care for YOU is what’s ultimately going to help you advance toward this vision. When you put your energy on the things that matter most to you, you’ll see the results show up in each area of your life.
Want more self-care ideas? Work with a Stress Management Mentor! Gain insights on preventing burnout, becoming your own best friend, and integrating meditation and self-massages into your days. Book a free consultation here!
