Do you consider your well-being a priority? Probably, deep down, you know that you should take better care of yourself. But you find it difficult. That happens to many of us. Perhaps you cannot find the time. Or ingrained habits take over.
Let us see why you should make your well-being a priority and how to achieve it.
Why make your well-being a priority
You only have one life. So, you should make the most of it doing what is good for you, nourishes you and fulfills you, right? You also only have one body. It allows you to do so many things throughout the day. For that, what less than to thank it by taking care of it, don’t you think?
It benefits you
If you feel good, you will be more content and happy. Also, you will be more productive. You will have more energy to undertake what you set out to do.
Taking time for self-care is important to pamper our body and mind. It is key to relieving stress. Because negative stress does not just harm our health. It also makes us less productive.
It benefits your environment
But that is not all. If you are okay, the people around you notice. Think about it. Do you prefer to surround yourself with stressed, exhausted, sad people…? Or do you prefer the company of balanced, energetic and happy people, who feel comfortable with themselves?
Therefore, self-care is not selfish. If you make your well-being a priority and take care of yourself, the people around you will appreciate it.
How to make your well-being a priority
Throughout life we ​​acquire many habits. Unfortunately not all of them are beneficial. But they are powerful. In other words, once they are rooted, it is difficult to change them. Let us see which aspects to take care of and how to make your well-being a priority.
Take care of your physical well-being
The first pillar is physical well-being, that is, taking care of your body. Securing yourself enough hours of quality sleep is essential to regain energy after the efforts of the day.
Then, taking care of what you drink and eat is also basic. Your body needs nutrients to perform well. For one thing, you need enough hydration. On the other hand, a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, to provide you with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, is key.
Lastly, physical activity helps you keep your body in shape. It is convenient to combine cardiovascular exercise with strength training to strengthen your heart and lungs as well as the rest of the muscles of your body.
Take care of your mental well-being
The second pillar refers to taking care of your mind. Taking breaks and doing relaxation exercises to relieve stress helps you clear your mind.
Then pay attention to your thoughts and beliefs. Which ones limit you? Which ones stress you out? What concerns do you have and what can you do about them? How can you take the weight off yourself? Perhaps solving a problem or accepting a situation that you cannot control and changing your attitude?
Instead of letting your mind control you, take control of it. Rather than letting thoughts and concerns arise at any moment, set aside time for thinking. Consciously take time to reflect and even write down your thoughts.
But taking care of your mental well-being also means training and challenging your mind. Therefore, continuous learning, developing yourself on a personal and professional level are keys to nurturing your mind.
Take care of your emotional well-being
To take care of your well-being in a comprehensive way, we cannot forget your emotional world either. Knowing how to manage and express your emotions fosters a healthy relationship with yourself and with others.
To take care of your emotional well-being, also ask yourself how your self-love, self-esteem and self-confidence are. Do you tend to compare yourself to others? Do you tend to be a perfectionist? This takes a toll on your emotional well-being.
Last but not least, take care of your personal relationships. Do you have trusted people to support you? How about your relationship with your family, friends, co-workers and other people around you?
Take care of your spiritual well-being
Spiritual well-being is the pillar that gives us strength and motivates us to keep going. Feeling that your life has meaning contributes positively to your psychological well-being. Feeling connected to yourself and your surroundings gives you peace of mind.
With this, gratitude can help you. Being grateful for all the good things in your life helps you to be more aware of the positive things as well as giving you a feeling of satisfaction and happiness. Practicing mindfulness, contemplation, connecting with nature or with the divinity in which you believe are other ideas to take care of your spiritual well-being.
Decide to make your well-being a priority
Once we have seen which aspects to take care of to make your well-being a priority, let us see how to put it into practice.
To take better care of yourself, the first thing is to review your priorities. Confused priorities can do us a lot of harm. Only if you make yourself and your well-being a priority, will you be able to spend enough time taking care of yourself.
Do you know the phrase “there is no lack of time; it is lack of interest”? For what we consider really important we are always able to make time. So show yourself that you love yourself and decide that your well-being is a priority.
Plan
To make taking care of your well-being a reality, consider what you want to improve. Which aspects are you currently neglecting? Do you want to improve your diet? Exercise more? Learn and practice stress-relief techniques? Take time for your personal development? Improve your interpersonal relationships?
Then think about the steps you can take and when. Set aside time in your agenda for it as if it were meetings with yourself.
Example physical activity
Let us take the example of doing more sports. Which physical activities do you want to practice? How many times a week and on which days at what time? Try to choose a schedule in which you will not fail often due to unforeseen events at work, medical appointments or other matters. Will you practice sports on your own, with friends, in a gym? In the latter case, do you need to reserve a place for the classes that interest you? With this clear, schedule the time slots in your agenda.
Example taking care of your diet
Do you want to improve your diet? Then consider what you need. Maybe it is just a matter of going grocery shopping with a ready-made list so you will not feel tempted to buy unhealthy foods. You may need to learn to cook to ensure you eat healthier. How can you do it? Sign up for classes or is it enough to look for video tutorials or recipes? It also may be a good idea to prepare a meal plan for the week.
Example taking care of your relationships
Do you want to improve your personal relationships? What do you need for it? Is it a matter of regaining contact with some people? Then write down who you want to contact and when you are going to do it. Maybe you want to improve your emotional intelligence and communication skills? Then look for information about what you want to learn, starting with this blog 😉
Make it a habit
Planning beneficial activities for your well-being helps you to give them more importance and reserve the time they deserve. The repetition of the activities allows you to turn them into habits.
But there are more tricks for acquiring new habits, like making them obvious and appealing. Consider how you can make a new habit so obvious and simple that it is almost inevitable. Think about how you can make it attractive and rewarding so that you really feel like doing it.
Also do not forget about bad habits. Which ones would you like to quit? How can you replace them?
Your definition of productivity
One last point that greatly influences your well-being is your definition of productivity. How you define it and how you behave in this sense can cause you stress or help you avoid it. Good personal productivity focusses on the correct priorities and the search for a balance between doing and resting.
Do you consider your well-being a priority?
Is your well-being a priority for you? Do you show it to yourself or do you have a hard time taking care of yourself enough? Which of the pillars do you think you neglect most? What are you going to do to take better care of yourself?
