When things get tough and you’re stressed, it’s easy to be self-indulgent and loosen up on the things that actually make you feel good to give in to things that you think make you feel good.
The thing is, when you’re stressed is when you need to use your discipline with healthy habits like working out, keeping your space clean, and eating well.
Self-care habits you should stick to:
Eating well
What does this mean? Fresh food that’s nutrient rich, filled with protein, healthy fats, and fibre. I’ve been known to inhale a bag of chips or bar of chocolate after a stressful day, to feel good for about ten minutes before feeling horrible – especially if this happens on a too frequent basis.
How to tackle this? Make sure you have good food available. Meal prep or ingredient prep by washing, peeling, cutting fruit and veggies so that they’re easy to grab. Make sure you have ingredients for easy, healthy dinners – salads, pastas filled with veggies, canned beans like chickpeas. And keep a water bottle or glass of water with you at all times.
Keeping your space clean
If you’re busy and worn out, there’s no way you’re deep cleaning your space every day. Instead, take ten minutes daily to organize a space, clean a bathroom, or do a quick vacuum. If any of this is daunting, put a timer on for 10-15 minutes so you’ll jump to action, knowing you want to finish before time’s up.
Movement
Sometimes when you’re mentally exhausted, you tell yourself you’re physically exhausted too. Instead, this is the best time to do a quick workout, do a couple of reps with some handheld weights, or jump on the elliptical, stepper, or head out for a walk. Again, tell yourself you’ll just do ten minutes. It’s better than nothing!
If you’re physically exhausted, something simple like stretches or a yoga video can ground you.
When things are hard, you may think life is a blur – only time for work, possibly childcare, and doing tedious chores. Find time to romanticise things. Whether it’s waking up earlier to take a bath with a coffee, listening to an audiobook or podcast while cooking or washing dishes, or calling a friend or family member before bed, these little things will remind you there’s still enjoyment to life when things are stressful.