A Guide to Healthier, Happier You!
We all have people we love in our lives, maybe our parents or our partner, our child or a dear friend. When we love someone, we have a tendency to put that person first on our list of priorities. That is totally understandable, and caring about the needs of others is a wonderful thing. But what happens when we focus so much on other people that we neglect to take care of ourselves? You deserve to be cared for, too.
Here are my top five tips for making space to look after you and invest in the relationship that you have with yourself.
Practice gratitude. Don’t be afraid to be specific! What are you thankful for? Write a list, if you have to. Review it regularly.
Do one thing that’s just for you each day. Love being outside in nature? Take a quick walk around the neighborhood on your lunch break. Enjoy a good book? Read a few pages before getting ready for bed. Decide daily to show up for you!
Stay connected to loved ones. Sure, we’re all busy, and it can be hard sometimes to keep in touch. Though a quick text or video message can go a long way, try to be intentional about making time to talk and spend time with people who make you feel supported and loved.
Notice your feelings. Sometimes, we can become disconnected from our emotions, especially if we’ve spent a lot of time focusing on people other than ourselves. Journaling is a great tool you can use to process your thoughts and feelings, even if you can only do it for a few minutes each day. But noticing your feelings helps you to be emotionally attuned and more aware of them in the future.
Use your resources. You are not alone, and there are plenty of resources out there to help you be happier and healthier. Feeling stressed? There are tons of free meditation apps you can download right to your phone. Worried you might need some extra support? Reach out to therapists in your area. Many offer free consultation calls to see if therapy is a good fit. Here at Within Reach Therapy, your 15-minute consultation is always free so that you can get to know your therapist in a relaxed, non-judgmental setting. Go ahead and reach out to us today!
