Self-Care Like You've Never Seen It Before

Beyond face masks and binging The Office

Nov 08, 2019

I suffer from depression. During my worst bouts, one of my friends had me write out a list of things I can do to care for my self (physically and emotionally) that’s as long as my age. At the time, I was 26.

That list was hard AF.

But making it helped. In moments of my deepest sadness, I have a long list of things I can do that I know will make me feel better.

I challenge you:

Make the same list. Whatever your age is, write out that many activities that make you happy. Then keep it for the inevitable lows in life.

But on to why I brought you all here…

What about preventative care? Depression isn’t just handling the lows; it’s also about creating a life that heals.

That kind of self-care, the kind that’s internal, is MUCH HARDER. But let me tell you guys: It’s worth it. These acts are life-changing.

So if you want to level-up your self-care, if you want to create a life the rocks, try these. They may take more work, but they’re well worth it:

Learning to enjoy solitude.

When you come home from a long day at work to an empty home, do you feel loneliness or solitude?

Your answer to that question is telling. Not everyone knows how to be alone. Some people avoid it at all costs.

But being comfortable with yourself is key to maintaining happiness throughout your life. Obstacles are inevitable; people will come and go. But one thing that’s constant is you’ll always have yourself. So do yourself a favor and learn how to enjoy time being alone.

Going to therapy.

If you’ve never been to therapy, the idea can be daunting. Opening up to a stranger is a bit weird at first, but I promise it gets better.

There are certain things that a therapist provides that your friends and family can’t. Think years of learning human psychology and thousands of hours practicing working through people’s emotions and traumas.

A therapist can help in so many ways: whether you’re going through a difficult time or just need someone to talk to.

Dumping that person you don’t feel a connection with.

A toxic person in your life is very consuming, especially when they’re your romantic partner. If you’re trying to take care of yourself, their behavior could be holding you back.

Breaking up with someone is never easy, but you can’t let that stop you from prioritizing your well-being. Sometimes, relationships run their course. Not everything is meant to last forever; not everything that ends was a failure.

Cutting off toxic friendships.

It’s interesting that we put up with a lot more from our friends than we do romantic partners. Why is that we hold our friends to lower standards?

A toxic friend is someone that makes you feel bad about yourself, drained after hanging out with them, like they’re always in competition with you, or are constantly negative. You can have a talk with them, but if they refuse to try and make things better, it’s time to consider cutting them out of your life.

No matter the length of the friendship, you need to prioritize yourself. Do so without guilt or shame; some friendships aren’t meant to last forever.

Regularly going to the doctor.

We only have one body in this life; take care of it.

That ache in your lower back that you ignore isn’t going to go away magically. You’ll start to compensate for that pain with poor posture and muscles forming in ways that will bite you in the ass later in life.

Go to the doctor regularly. Get a physical. Check your bloodwork. And if you’re a female, please see your gynecologist.

Self-care includes making sure you’re healthy enough to enjoy the magic of life.

Creating boundaries with people closest to you.

When you love someone, it’s hard to draw lines on what’s healthy behavior.

If your mom insists on showing up at your apartment without notice or your friend incessantly calls you until you pick up, create a boundary. Let them know how their behaviors affect your mental health and relationship with them. They might not take it so well at first, but if they care about you, they’ll adjust in the long-run.

Boundaries are necessary acts of self-care if you want to maintain your sense of self with those closest to you.

Quitting a job that is making you miserable.

1/3 of your life is spent working. If you hate your job, that’s a lot of time spent at a place that makes you miserable. That kind of stress piles on, your demeanor changes, and all of a sudden, you’re the person living for the weekends and hating Mondays.

If your job doesn’t respect you, is mind-numbingly boring, or feels meaningless to you, quit. Make a plan to responsibly find a new job and leave your old one behind.

The ultimate form of self-care is creating a life you love every day, not just on the weekends.

Not apologizing for everything.

“I’m sorry!”

“Stop saying sorry all the time.”

“Ok… sorry.”

If you’re a victim of constant apologizing, this scenario will feel all too real.

Compassion and agreeability seem to be a common trait of people who apologize even when they’ve done nothing wrong. They want to honor other people’s feelings and preferences. That’s a lovely trait, but not when it undermines your ability to assert yourself and take up space in this world.

As a form of self-care, practice saying what you want without apologizing.

Asking for what you need.

If you’re a people-pleaser like me, you struggle hard with this one. Standing up for yourself and stating what you need feels like a burden; you don’t want to rock the boat even if it’s clear you’re on dry land.

But taking care of yourself means honoring what you need. And since we haven’t developed a procedure for telepathy yet, no one is going to know what you need unless you ask for it.

Drinking more water.

Drink water; that doesn’t mean juice, soda, or coffee (though I still drink plenty of coffee). Chug down some good ole’ H2O.

Your skin will thank you. Your digestive system will thank you. Your mood will thank you. Your body will overall, thank you.

I know it’s hard to remember to drink water but, whatever you have to do, do it. You don’t function as well as you could if you drank enough water.

Dehydration is a bitch. Avoid her and drink more water.

Unfollowing people on social media that make you feel like crap.

Social media has become a form of masochism. People are logging on, scrolling mindlessly, and by the time they’re off, they feel like complete shit.

That’s because social media is rampant with influencers and perfectly curated feeds. It’s filled with highlight reels and good times. Never the real, day to day struggles everyone goes through.

Comparison is the thief of joy. The people in your feed that make you hate your life aren’t doing you any good. Unfollow them. Instead, opt for inspirational accounts.

Or, be like me and follow golden retriever puppy accounts. They never let you down in making you feel better.

Learning to say no.

It’s funny that we don’t say “no” to avoid letting someone down or creating conflict. We take on tasks that we never wanted to do and create stress and discomfort for ourselves instead.

But not saying no puts others before yourself. It can create a state of overwhelm and anxiety. Before you realize it, you’re putting other people’s needs before yours.

Practice self-care by saying no when you want to. If that seems too hard, take a step in the right direction by instead replying, “let me think about it.”

Then say no later.

Self-care can look like taking the day off to replenish, but it can also be so much deeper. Taking care of yourself means putting yourself in uncomfortable positions that will benefit you in the long run.

Remember, you have one life to live. Do the work now, no matter how hard, so you can enjoy and even better life in the future.

All the love,

Kirstie