That's why, with this article, I want to help you find the light you need right now, tell you that I'm one of you, that I'm by your side, and, above all, send you a message loud and clear:
Thinking about yourself is not being selfish.
Quite the opposite. It's a necessity to be happy and make others happy. We've been taught that the more we give, the more generous we are, but we forget about generosity toward ourselves.
What's up with this?
If you always end up stressed and physically and mentally exhausted in your daily life, how can you expect to take care of others if you don't take care of yourself?
Keep this in mind: self-care is not a luxury, but a priority for your well-being .
And if you need to stay on the couch for a day, two days, or however many, resting, watching a movie, or just staring at the ceiling, allow yourself to do so and don't feel guilty about it.
Love yourself more. Give yourself permission to have moments of low productivity because your body and mind will thank you for it. You also need to rest and disconnect from the whirlwind of external stimuli to reconnect with yourself and gain clarity. The key to improving your quality of life is finding balance, and this is also beauty.
That's why I'd like you to view this article as an exclusive gift for you. I'll share three reasons why you should prioritize yourself and seven strategies to nourish your mind and take care of your body daily.
I hope they inspire you and, above all, that after reading them you love yourself a little more and improve your relationship with yourself.
Will you give me the chance to show you why you are so important? :)
3 reasons to prioritize yourself and say I LOVE YOU every day
You are in a better mood
Did you know that humor is a means of communication that helps relieve anxiety, tension, and insecurity? When you prioritize yourself:
- You find more time for yourself and the people you love.
- You stop living on autopilot without enjoying your days.
- You relax and see everything from a more positive perspective.
Furthermore, relaxation increases the potential for well-being and enjoyment, laughter, and constructive thinking. A sense of humor and laughter promote resilience and increase control over physical health.
You have more patience
Putting yourself first also helps you see what's truly important in life through different lenses, like your family or your friends.
"As always: The urgent leaves no time for the most important."
- MAFALDA (by Quino) -
When you decide to dedicate time to yourself and what you love, you're more patient with the people you care about. Therefore, it's vital to eliminate rushing and other people's priorities. Because it's normal to get lost and be in a bad mood when you're traveling at 200 km/h.
Stop, breathe, and choose carefully what is most valuable to you.
You deserve to have fun too
Guilt sets in when you think that taking care of yourself or having fun is less important than answering a phone call or staying half an hour longer at work. You too deserve the best in life; you deserve to enjoy yourself and have a good time . To live new, enriching experiences.
Did you know that laughter can reduce the risk of a heart attack? Enjoying positive feelings stimulates healthy behaviors, which in turn promotes greater emotional well-being and improved physical health.
You need to get some fresh air to recharge your batteries. Please don't be the one to deny yourself that!
Strategies to take care of your mind and body
Poor physical health damages the mind. Just as good mental health protects physical health, it's important to take care of both your body and your mind. And if you're still not sure how, here are some ideas.
1. MEDITATION
Did you know that up to 50,000 thoughts go through your mind every day?
It's hard for me to imagine, but I understand because with the thousands of stimuli we have, it's becoming increasingly difficult for me to concentrate and find clarity.
There are hundreds of apps like Headspace , Calm , or Aura to turn down the noise and, little by little, discover what your body and mind are telling you. You don't have to spend hours in the lotus position; you can breathe deeply for five minutes before getting up or before going to bed.
Meditation also means exercising in silence, writing, or walking outdoors in nature . Find that little bit of time alone with yourself and discover what messages your mind and body are sending you.
This is what you will achieve through meditation:
- Reduce your stress.
- Enjoy a restful sleep
- Control blood pressure and muscle tension.
- Improve overall health.
- Increase your concentration.
- Relax.
- Slowing down mental aging.
Don't you think the benefits alone make it worth trying again?
2. GRATITUDE
Wherever you look, you'll notice that everyone in the world wants to be happy, but few know that part of this feeling stems from gratitude. Feeling grateful increases oxygen levels in our bodies, speeds up the healing process, and strengthens our immune system .
I invite you to create your own gratitude journal .
Writing down everything you're grateful for on a piece of paper will help you focus on the positive aspects of life.
Sometimes, they're even things you might have taken for granted, like having a roof over your head, a hot plate of food on the table, and running water when you turn on the tap. But, unfortunately, there are many people in the world who don't have them. For this alone, you should be grateful.
Be grateful for where you are and always focus on the positive.
This exercise will take you only 5 minutes a day and is transformative.
Are you willing to invest 5 minutes a day to be happier?
And there's more…
I don't know if you've seen David Steindl-Rast's Ted Talk on " If You Want to Be Happy, Be Grateful ," but if you have 15 minutes, I promise you'll come away inspired and that it will be 15 minutes of your life very well spent.
3. POSITIVE DIALOGUE
Speak to yourself gently and lovingly, as you speak to your children or a loved one.
You may have heard about positive self-talk, but you may not know the reason why you need to talk to yourself. Every time you feel happy, sad, or down, it's because you've previously thought about a series of situations (consciously or unconsciously) that have made you feel that way.
Feeling comes after thought.
Beating yourself up and flooding your head with negative emotions isn't a smart option. You need to take care of your vocabulary because your emotional state depends on it.
The decisions you make, the quality of your personal and professional relationships, whether you dare to overcome your fears—absolutely everything in your life depends on your emotional state. Do you see how important it is?
Changing your internal dialogue means empowering your best version.
A study from Rowan University in New Jersey claims that regular practice of positive self-talk has the following benefits:
- Increase your confidence and improve your resilience.
- It helps you deal with stress.
- Promotes the development of healthier relationships.
So pay more attention to that little voice inside you the next time you catch yourself talking badly to yourself.
4. LEARN TO SAY NO
Some people think that if you say no to others, you're selfish, unfriendly, or antisocial and don't want to make plans. This is more common and damaging than it should be.
It's time to demystify this and turn the tables.
Because when you say no to others, you're actually saying yes to yourself, to your plans, to your time to enjoy the people you love most—you're saying yes to your goals.
And if you don't think about your life goals, who else will?
Plus, when you know your limits and learn to say no, you like yourself more because deep down, you're respecting your instinct . How many times have you said yes out of obligation or to please a family member or friend?
Learn to be consistent with your feelings and follow your intuition. If deep down you know you shouldn't go to that meal because you haven't spent much time with your children, say no.
If you'd rather not go out to dinner because you're exhausted after a long week of work, don't feel guilty or make up a thousand excuses to cancel the plan.
It's not a phrase anymore. And you don't need to justify yourself or feel bad.
Remember that your mental health and your personal and professional projects are at stake. And it depends entirely on you.
5. TREAT YOURSELF FROM TIME TO TIME
Loving yourself also means celebrating yourself and indulging in some luxuries from time to time. A German study claims that the immediate gratification of indulging in small treats increases levels of well-being and peace of mind .
What's more, this study took into account two variables: self-control , which helps you achieve your long-term goals, and hedonistic goals , which are what "trigger" your goals.
For example, your self-control tells you to get up early to go to the gym or not to eat that sweet treat because it's unhealthy. Meanwhile, your hedonic goal tells you that it's okay to get a little more sleep or that life is short and you should enjoy it.
In this research, they found that enjoying yourself is just as important as achieving your goals. And that if you allow yourself a treat or a mental break from time to time, you'll have more energy and motivation to achieve your goals.
So celebrate every step forward, every small success, every time you wake up.
Become your own best friend or thoughtful lover, the one who surprises you on a Wednesday night because you've had a bad day. From now on, schedule mini-birthday moments in your calendar just for you.
What are you missing options?
Buy yourself some luxury cosmetics to pamper your skin and make the most of the best dress of your life.
These are my favorite body lotions:
In our online store, you'll always find the pampering your skin deserves at any stage of your life.
|
Do you live near Lloret Mar? Treat yourself to a foot massage to relieve all the tension from a long day in heels. Travel to paradise with our foot massage Or perhaps you'd prefer a customized 60-minute facial (detox, brightening, anti-blemish, etc.) to make your skin glow? Discover our Ocean Breeze treatment At our center in Lloret de Mar, you'll find facial and body treatments that will leave you feeling rejuvenated and floating :) |
6. PLAY SPORTS
Your body was designed to move. Exercise strengthens your muscles, increases your energy, and reduces stress. It also improves your health and helps you lose those extra pounds.
You probably know that exercise has many benefits for physical and mental health. Do you know them all?
Physical benefits of exercise
- Improves physical fitness, aerobic condition and endurance.
- Regulates blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Prevents osteoporosis and maintains good bone density.
- Tones muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.
- Helps with weight loss and increases flexibility.
- It strengthens the immune system and reduces the risk of cardiovascular and cancer diseases.
- Improves digestion and regulates intestinal transit.
- Life expectancy increases.
Mental benefits of exercise
It's proven that exercise releases endorphins, the happiness hormone. Physical exercise produces a feeling of pleasure that acts as a natural painkiller. So next time you need a paracetamol, exercise :-)
And, what's more, this is what you'll get through sport:
- Reduce stress and sleep better.
- Combat anxiety and reduce feelings such as anguish, aggression and anger.
- Improve self-esteem and reduce the risk of suffering from depression.
- Increase your concentration and be more productive.
- Boost your memory and feel in a better mood.
- Promote social relationships if you practice sports in a group.
- Control and combat addictions.
Now, what are you waiting for to get moving? :) You don't have to run a marathon; start with a daily half-hour walk or take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Small steps count.
7. FOLLOW A HEALTHY DIET
They say food is your medicine, and this is because nutrition not only nourishes your body, but also prevents cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
And ultra-processed foods, fried foods, or junk foods have the following effects on your health:
- It generates memory and learning problems, according to data from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2011). Not only that, but it changes your mood.
- It causes weakness, fatigue and is addictive.
- It increases the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer or depression.
With very little you can achieve a lot. I challenge you to choose to drink water with every meal. Because besides the fact that hydration is essential for the vital functions of your organs, thanks to water you will achieve:
- Reduce fatigue and the risk of cancer.
- Reduce migraines and headaches.
- Enhance the beauty of the skin.
- Improve the immune system.
- Eliminate bad breath.
- Reduce cardiovascular disease.
Do you accept the challenge?
Enjoying good health and quality of life for many years is only achieved if you take care of your mind and body daily.
And with all this, I'm not saying you have to strictly follow everything I tell you. Or that you shouldn't allow yourself an ice cream or a gin and tonic one day.
I want to encourage you not to throw in the towel just because you eat poorly or feel lazy about moving from the couch. As I said before, small steps count too.
Remember that it's always better to move forward at a snail's pace than to go backward like a crab.
It's not enough to just pay attention to the messages your body sends you; you also have to listen to your own thoughts, regulate your emotions... And this can only be achieved by disconnecting and lowering the volume of external noise and our radio mind, as Charuca would say.
Don't be afraid to discover the messages of your body and your heart, to listen to your instinct.
Most of the answers to your problems are within you, and we often spend half our lives looking for them outside. In people who don't know you as well as you know yourself.
I would love for you to burn into your memory this quote from M. Scott Peck, an American psychiatrist:
"Emotional illness consists of avoiding reality at all costs. Emotional health consists of facing reality at all costs."
My intention with all this that I tell you is to send you a very clear message.
Enjoying a good quality of life involves creating healthy habits with routines that nourish the mind and take care of the body .
Because achieving balance is the only key to controlling your own life.
How many of these tips do you apply in your daily life? What are you missing to find the balance you so desperately need in your life?
I'd love to find out in the comments.
