Three Ways That I’ve Been Practicing Self-Care
Who would’ve known that back in March 2020, when this pandemic was declared that in September 2021 we’d still be in this? There’s no denying that the last 18 months has been pretty much a living nightmare, and the mental health of many people, myself included, has really plummeted. I know it’s easy to say that you take time for self care by taking a bath or painting your nails — and don’t get me wrong, those things are great and they are a form of self-care, but what I mean when I say “how I’ve been practicing self-care” is how I’ve been taking care of myself mentally, more than just getting a manicure for the first time in nearly a year and a half.
1. Setting Boundaries While Working From Home
If you’ve read my blog before, I may sound like a broken record, but I absolutely swear by this – you need to set boundaries while working from home. It’s so easy to say that “you’ll just stay online another 30 minutes to get this done”, and then suddenly it becomes the expectation and you’re burnt out. I didn’t want this to happen to me, especially since I balance a full time job, freelance projects, a blog & now I’ve got to start making time to plan a wedding. Here are the boundaries that I uphold while working at home:
I work my hours, and don’t work overtime unless it’s absolutely required. Sometimes, overtime is just necessary, especially in my field – deadlines need to be made. But, it isn’t standard in my position.
I take my hour long lunch everyday. It’s legally mandated, so I do it.
I don’t answer phone calls, emails or messages about work after I’ve signed off for the day. It can wait until the next working day.
2. Making Time to get Outside
Having a dog has really helped with this one, but this is something I’ve very much struggled with since the moment the pandemic was declared. Is it just me, or did it feel like “the outside had germs” or something? I was almost scared to leave the safety of my home. But now that I have a dog, I have no choice but to get outside for a walk or two everyday. Even before we got Freddie, I did try, but it definitely wasn’t consistent.
3. Getting A Good Night’s Rest
This is the real tough one of the bunch for me — I do my best, but limiting screen time unfortunately isn’t the easiest thing for me to do when my job, my freelance jobs, and my hobby (this blog) revolve around looking at screens. Though, I do try to wear my blue light glasses, especially in the evening as much as possible, it’s not something I’m the best at remembering, so I try to make up for it by getting a good amount of sleep each night. Now, that being said, it’s been tough to do that consistently since bringing Freddie home, between protesting his crate and just the fact that he’s a vocal dog, this one definitely requires a bit more intention.
What are your favourite ways to practice self-care? Is it drinking lots of water (I do love this one as well), doing some yoga, maybe something else? Let me know in the comments below!
