Do you struggle to make time for self-care?
Making time for self-care can seem like an uphill battle. But with the right tools we can all make time to balance work and life and avoid being stressed and overwhelmed.
The Grid is a tool that helps people create better balance, achieve results, and keep healthy habits. It does this by helping the Grid user keep track of everything in one place. If you are new to this method check out – The Get Productive Grid: A simple and proven work-life balance system to help you thrive.
You may also want to check out our free Grid productivity and wellbeing resources page. It contains many useful templates, case studies and links that will support your Grid practice.
This blog is designed to help existing Grid adopters and newcomers to our site pick up ideas for what one can do to introduce rest and self-care practices into their lives. These will be especially useful if your life is very busy. Here’s why.
Rest and self-care underpin health and productivity
At MTC we care about helping people thrive. All this starts and ends with self-care. Freeing the body of stressors and pain requires a proactive and holistic approach to health. Caring for ourselves is increasingly promoted as essential for health and wellbeing by Western medicine. This includes mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. Neglecting any of these four essential parts of our being creates imbalance and risks illness.
Self-care is a conscious choice and key weapon against stress! It requires a great deal of positive regard towards self and some discipline. It means that one can make one’s own wellbeing a priority. Resting or taking regular breaks is also a key element of self-care. This includes sleep but also extends to restful activities that help us power down.
To maintain and recover good health we need to learn to rest and self-care.
Below are tips and ideas to help you add more self-nurturing practices on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.
Self-care and restful practices to try
Every hour
- 1-2 minutes of closing your eyes and focusing on your breath.
- A quick stretch standing up. Anything goes!
- Making a sound that expresses how you feel.
- Lifting the corners of your lips a tad more momentarily.
- Lifting up your upper chest and torso to sit up straight and/or walk taller.
- Taking a moment to look outside the window or focus on a piece of nature indoors such as a plant or an object that has meaning for you.
Daily
- Taking a quick shower to refresh yourself or washing your face in cold water.
- Give yourself 5 minutes to stretch or do a small set of one specific exercise, say push-ups.
- Take a 20 min nap.
- Go for a walk in fresh air even if it’s just one circuit around your block. Gulp as much air as possible.
- Enjoy your meal and savour every bite.
- Hug your dear ones or tell them how much you appreciate them.
- Play a tune that makes you smile or gives you an energy boost.
Weekly
- Write a short, empowering note to yourself or a mantra for the week.
- Send someone you love or are friends with a greeting card.
- Do something kind for someone else.
- Give yourself one pleasant restful activity of your choice.
- Schedule 1 night of 7-8 hour sleep.
Monthly
- Write a short letter to yourself about how life is going in which you point out 1-3 good things and 1-3 things you want to focus on
- Make time for a social gathering.
- Ensure you have a break or a holiday coming up in your diary. If not, book one in!
- Cook 1 nutritious meal with ingredients that you rarely eat!
- Get a massage or find another way to pamper your body.
On a yearly basis
- Take stock of how your life is going. We recommend our Get Productive book for great activities to assist you.
- Ensure you’ve got at least 1 longer holiday scheduled ahead.
- Sign up for a class you may enjoy.
A note about your surroundings
Wherever you are, ensure that your physical environment feeds your mind, heart, body, and spirit.
From photographs that help you feel connected to those you treasure, inspirational posters, your favourite mug, scented candle or beloved pet – make your space be as nurturing to your being as possible.
Join our community on Facebook
Make sure to join our community of Gridniks on Facebook. Everyone shares the same ambitions of taking control of their own lives and working towards their ideal day, every day.
We share information, experiences and stories over at the Facebook group. It is a brilliant place to support one another and to get in contact with people who experience the same hardships that you do.
Join out community by clicking here and make your Grid experience something that can be shared with great people like you.
