Daily Vitamin for Mental Health: One hour of self-care

Are you feeling burnt out? Do you feel frustrated that you don’t have control over your daily activities? Do you feel like your energy levels are dropping? If any of the above are true for you, it could be a sign that you are ignoring your own needs in order to serve.

Maybe, all you need is a 60ml shot 😜 of self-care every day.

For a few months after my baby was born, I barely got any time for myself. It was hard to get any quality sleep (I don’t remember sleeping for more than 4 hours a day) and felt cranky/ frustrated for the most part. This affected my relationship with Raj (my husband), my nanny (my most important staff member at the time 😂) and also made me feel very tired and unproductive all the time.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed being a new mom. I loved that phase for the Mom and baby bond and I would do it all over again. But how I felt about myself was also a parallel reality.

Little did I know that letting go of some baby chores and napping for an hour is all the self care I needed. Let me be frank, even after knowing this, It was hard to let go of the little apple of my eye and selfishly take care of my needs. But, in retrospect, I would have dealt with my daily activities 40% more efficiently had I napped for an extra hour.

Self-care can be of various forms (other than sleep), but how do you know when to prioritize yourself?

Below are some signs you need to be watchful of (Note: the following are not medical conditions)

1. You feel sleep deprived.

2. You are fighting / snapping at others (stress in relationships).

3. You have poor eating habits.

4. You have no ‘alone’ time.

5. You feel like you are not listening to your body.

6. Are you busy being busy but not productive?

Once you identify any or all of these signs, the next step is to take action. Allot an hour a day to do what really makes you happy.

Some of my favourite ways to spend quality time with myself are:

1. Introspecting by writing in my journal/ writing my gratitude

2. Reading a book

3. Getting carried away in my thoughts while sipping on a delicious filter coffee

4. Listening to my favourite music

5. Making breakfast on most Sundays (Read: staff free morning which I converted to self-care time)

6. Polishing my nails or a parlour visit.

7. Meeting a friend for coffee

Can’t dedicate an hour a day for yourself? Trust me, I feel you! There were days when I felt like a zombie trying to figure out where my day had vanished. In a situation like this, the first step is to realize that you need alone time / personal space.

Consciously take 10 min breaks (car drives, coffee, bathroom breaks, newspaper, that time before we fall asleep), and tell yourself that ‘These ten minutes are mine! Just mine!’ Aim to do this a minimum of 3 times a day.

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Share this with someone who needs a push to take care of themselves!