It seems to be that people are taking less and less care of themselves. Whether it is from working themselves to death or just not eating right, it is really starting to show in society today. I’ve decided to share some self-care tips that I believe can be very beneficial to some if not all of you. Self-care is something that everyone should take part in, and just to be clear, caring for yourself is not being self-centered or narcissistic. It is the act of caring for yourself and making sure you stay healthy too.

It concerns me to see so many millennials being burnt out from not taking care of themselves correctly. I understand everyone is trying to balance their lives from work to school, to having a social life. But there comes a point where you just need to learn to say no and focus on yourself.

#1 REMOVE TOXIC PEOPLE FROM YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA

Yes, this is a self-care tip, trust me on this.

I have learned to stop checking up on old friends who are no longer a big part of my life. I started by unfollowing people I used to be close with, people that I thought would never leave, but did. I used to check up on people who were once my closest and dearest friends, whether it was their Snapchat story or Instagram story, I would always look. I used to be so curious about how they were doing, getting jealous that they are doing things that I used to be a part of and it would honestly hurt. I’d have the “fear of missing out” even though I was no longer apart of their lives and they were no longer apart of mine. I went as far as blocking some of these people because it hurt so much. For the longest time, I could not wrap my head around the idea that you could be so close with someone one day, and complete strangers with them the next. I completely understand that you probably made a promise that you’d be there for that person no matter what, but remember its a two-way thing. Although you made a promise, remember that they did too and it’s long broken. You have no obligation to be checking up on them and their lives while they are no longer doing the same for you. I would also like to point out that it is one thing to unfollow these people, but you also need to keep yourself from searching their username to check their recent posts and such. I also recommend unfollowing people who are constantly posting depressing things or things that you do not agree with. You’re not being rude for unfollowing them, you are just protecting yourself and your well-being from their issues that should not worry you.

You already have a hard enough time balancing out your social and work life, when include checking up on people who aren’t really apart of your life anymore in that mix?

It’s been over a year since I’ve last done this cleanse and it’s about time to do it again. I don’t know where to begin to explain to you all how good it feels to focus more on my life and not what everyone else is doing with theirs. I am definitely a happier person now that I don’t worry about the past as often.

#2 CONSIDER TAKING A BREAK FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

A social media cleanse is something that can be beneficial. It’s something I should probably do again soon. I can sometimes spend hours scrolling through Instagram comparing myself to people I am following and even people that I am not. Social media contributes to depression and other mental health issues. We tend to hide behind our screens and eventually forget how to socialize.

I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed but parents are having their children grow up with screens in front of their faces. You can’t go to a restaurant without seeing a child watching videos on their parent’s phone. When you do see a child without a mobile device they are usually running around and misbehaving. I am not saying that every family is like this, just most. When I was growing up, my parents taught me table manners, had me colors the kid’s menus, and taught me how to act around other people.

It’s really important to remember that the majority of the people online don’t share their entire stories, they will only show the good things and put on a show like their lives are perfect. Everyone will always have their own demons that they are dealing with whether it is self-confidence issues to problems are home or depression. No one is perfect no matter how perfect their online lives make them look.

#3 LEARN WHEN TO SAY NO AND WHEN TO SAY YES

Speaking from personal experience, learning when to say no and when to say yes is important. I used to work three jobs at once right out of high school. I did this for about 7 months before I realized I was only hurting myself.
I’d open at the restaurant I worked at, go and work at an elementary school in the afternoon and close at another restaurant. Including the long work days, I was also taking online classes at a local community college. I’d take as many shifts as possible. I’d also try and go out with friends after work too. At two of the jobs I had, they relied on me so much that I never said no to any of the shifts they’d offer. I was getting sick every two weeks because I was not taking the time to care for myself. Having a balanced school, work and social life are completely possible. You just need to learn how to prioritize what is important for you to stay healthy and happy.

If you haven’t reached being burnt out from working long shifts and not having a balanced life, I promise you will soon get there if you don’t learn when to say no.

#4 DRINK MORE WATER

I can’t express enough that when you are not taking care of yourself you are probably not drinking enough water. When you are constantly studying and working, I am going to guess that the liquid part of your diet consists of coffee, energy drinks, or alcohol. I won’t go any further than this, just remember that you should be drinking at least a half-gallon of water a day.

#5 EAT HEALTHIER, SLEEP MORE, & EXERCISE

Being a college student or a full-time worker I can already guess you probably eat maybe once a day, depending on how much time you have. An average person should be eating at least 3 times a day. Money may be tight, but you should to not hurt your body by eating fast foods or cup noodles every day. Try to budget out your expenses so you have more to spend on healthier options for food.

An adult should be sleeping an average of 8 hours a night. Don’t say you don’t have the time to, if you cut down the time you spend out and about doing who knows what, I guarantee you will find the time. You should also be exercising 3-4 times a week, for at least 30 minutes each time. Using the same idea of budgeting your money, learn to budget your time. Have daily schedules, it will help.

#6 POSITIVE SELF TALK

One of the most important lessons I have learned in the last year is how I talk to myself and how I talk to others. It starts with the simple things of making sure I don’t call myself dumb or stupid. If you do say negative things towards you and others, try to be more mindful of it. If it slips out while you are speaking, just correct yourself and soon it will become a habit. I believe that what you say over and over again will become.

#7 MAKE A LIST OF SELF CARE TIPS FOR YOU

On #1-6 I gave you guys some of the self-care tips I use for myself, but, it does not stop there. Remember that self-care is anything that has to do with caring for you and your health. Make your own self-care list. I will put some examples below of what it could include.

Self-Care Tips
-Take a walk
-Listen to music
-Call a friend
-Read a book
-Take a bath
-More fruits and veggies
-Eat a salad once a day
-Clean up your room
-Cuddle with a pet

I hope some of these self-care tips help some of you out. Thanks for reading!