These past few weeks I’ve been feeling really anxious, and I’m sure I’m not alone. I’m sort of an anxious person by nature but I’m usually able to keep it at bay by staying busy, exercising or other forms of self-care. For some reason, it’s back with a vengeance as of a late and it’s interfering with my sleep– something I’m sure many of you can relate to as well!
I will wake up in the middle of the night and be unable to fall back to sleep because there are a million and one thoughts that stream through my head like an old film reel. As a result, I wind up on my phone surfing the web and reading random stories or I choose to just get up at the crack of dawn and work instead. Needless to say, lack of sleep isn’t great for my anxiety levels as it usually causes me to drink more coffee which just makes it worse. 🙂
So I’ve made a promise to myself to be better about self-care in the next month in an effort to keep myself more grounded and relaxed. I’ve put together a list of 10 of the things I’m planning to do over the next few months:
- Get a massage. I ALWAYS feel better after a great massage. I’m not a deep tissue person, so I go for more of a gentle massage and it does wonders for easing tension in my body and making me feel lighter when I leave!
- Buy a new book or check one out of the library. Since screen time before bed results in lesser quality sleep, I’m trying to limit my TV watching/internet surfing before bed. I decided to hit up the library for some mysteries to read before bed and while I can’t stay awake reading for long, it’s resulted in more restful sleep!
- Go for a walk in the woods or along the beach or another body of water. I believe that nature is so restorative and I always feel more relaxed after a walk in nature. Since we live right by the beach, I have a regular route that I will take along the water and the gorgeous views always put me in a better mood. I find water to be calming, so I’m so thankful to live right down the street from it! If you don’t live near water, a walk in the woods does the exact same thing. If you can, don’t listen to music– just listen to nature sounds and allow yourself to check out for a while.
- Go for a pedicure. Before kids, I used to get regular manicures and pedicures. Gone is the time (or money!) for that luxury, but I really enjoy it when I have the chance to sneak away for a pedicure. I pick up a gossip magazine and sit in the massage chair for a half hour of me-time!
- Schedule a lunch or dinner date with a girlfriend (or a group of girlfriends). As moms, it can be hard to schedule your own activities when you are so busy scheduling and transporting your kids to their activities! I don’t know about you, but there’s something about hanging out with your girlfriends that makes real life easier to deal with sometimes. It always reminds me that often my struggles aren’t unique and that we’re all in motherhood together!
- Go out to a coffee house and enjoy your favorite coffee drink– alone! You can even get crazy and bring a book or newspaper or just enjoy a half hour of people watching.
- Schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor or a therapist. Often times moms forget to take care of their own health. If you have a health issue that’s been bothering you, or you haven’t had a regular check-up in a while or maybe you just need to sort through some emotional issues, schedule an appointment to take action. I promise you’ll feel so much better once you’ve taken the first step to schedule it!
- Learn something new or take a class. Spending some time learning something new can be revitalizing. If you’ve always wanted to learn a new language or take up knitting, find an evening class and get a babysitter. If that’s not a possibility, there are a TON of classes you can take online when the kids are in bed.
- Set aside five or ten minutes for meditation. There are two apps I use for guided meditation when I need to relax, whether it’s before bed or during a stressful morning or afternoon: Calm and Relax Melodies.
- Take a break from social media. Even though I work in the social media field, there are times when I will uninstall the Facebook or Instagram app from my phone for a while. If you find that current events or following others’ lives cause you to feel anxious, step away for a bit and see how you feel. You might not realize how much constantly checking in on social media is affecting your mental health!
Grab this printable list (click on the image to download the pdf) and don’t forget to take care of YOU!
PIN THIS FOR LATER!
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