Never ending emails, the needs of our loved ones, the latest fire we need to put out at work – life comes at us hard and fast. Unfortunately, this causes us to react rather than to act in a thoughtful manner. The best way to navigate this is to go against instinct, and give yourself a break. Here a few options that you can weave into your day to give yourself some time to rest. Consider practicing the activity for 30-90 days and suddenly you’ll find it becomes part of your routine.
Breath before hitting send!
Have you noticed texting or email the wrong person or sending something off before it is finished because you feel so frazzled? How many times have you written something impulsively only to regret it immediately after hitting send? You can correct behaviors like this with a simple exercise. Focus on drafting, rather than writing something. After drafting, stand up and pace around the room a bit. Read it back, either to yourself or out loud, before you actually send it. Also, many phone carriers or emails have a “send later” or “schedule” function that can ensure you don’t send anything that very second. Another cardinal rule is to never send a message out of anger or sadness. Emotions are fleeting, but the internet is forever.
Count to ten after you’ve been hurt
Reactions are most common after we’ve been hurt. Remember that your pain is preventing you from seeing the situation clearly. Something that is simple, like a surprisingly helpful criticism will be clouded by your negative emotions. Even if you feel you are in the right, pausing will help you process your feelings. Better yet, write down your feelings and then take a walk before responding. This way you avoid getting caught in a cycle without resolution.
Don’t impulse buy!
This ensures you save your valuable time, energy, and money!
If you do impulse buy, reconsider your purchases!
If you feel you have buyer’s regret or the item is flaw, you don’t have to keep it. Most stores have a generous return policy.
Have good phone awareness
When we are bored or anxious, we may obsessively check our phones or email. We also love to use our technology devices and a means of procrastinating from a daunting project. Reinforce your goal to pause, by placing an elastic band or sticky note on your phone or computer to prevent a mindless swipe or obsessive checking.
Stretch it out
Allow yourself to wake-up gradually by setting your alarm for ten minutes before your typical wake-up time. Enjoy a deep stretch and belly breathing to recenter yourself for the day ahead. Use this added time as an essential part of your self-care routine.
Listen to your heart
Have you said yes, when instinctively you knew you should have said no? It doesn’t matter why it happened, but realize every time you do this it is an act of disservice to both your spirit and the person you said yes to. If your heart in not in line with your answer, it will fight you throughout the process. Contribution will be apathetic at best and you could sabotage the process at worse. This could lead to a build up of resentment between you and the person with whom you are interacting.
If you find yourself to be a people-pleaser consider trying a yes fast. Commit to saying no to all non-essential requests for the next month or so. Notice what improves it brings to your life.
The above are merely a starting point at reinvigorating your self-care routine. Pick one (or more) to try. You can also create your own. The best place to start is the facet in your life that you most notice a build up of regret. Now, it the perfect time to prioritize yourself.
