I know it is hard to think about, but sometimes, you need to put yourself first. Did you know that September is Self-Care Awareness Month? Well, it is and there are so many ways to celebrate this while working on building some healthy habits! It is so easy to get wrapped up in your day-to-day responsibilities, but your mental health is important and should not be ignored. Check out some great ways to give yourself some self-care this month or any time!

  1. Meditation. Believe me, my house is not a quiet one, however, finding a moment during the day, even early in the morning or just before bed, to take some quiet time for yourself. This will actually help clear your head space. It can be 15 minutes of sitting in silence, reading a book, or even just breathing in the steam of a hot shower. Taking this time to regain your peace can make a huge difference in your daily life.
  2. Setting Goals. Goals is very broad word, but when it comes to self-care, these goals can pertain to developing some healthy habits in your life. This may mean making it a priority to workout for 30 minutes daily or to meal prep at the beginning of the week to help keep yourself from eating out. These goals can start small and then grow as they become easier. A goal I have is to run 3 times a week to help improve my 5k time. This not only clears my head, but it also keeps me active and improves my heart health, which is important to me.
  3. Say NO. You are probably thinking “What?!?! Say no?!?!” but yes, that is exactly what I mean. It is ok to say no to the things. When you prioritize everyone else and their needs first, this can really affect your own mental health and emotional state. It is ok to say no to things. You don’t have to go to every birthday party or dinner, you don’t have to attend every event, and you don’t have to take on every project. Taking time for yourself is important! If you are taking care of everyone else, who is taking care of you?
  4. Take Time With Friends. It took me a long time to realize that I could have time with my girlfriends and still be a good wife and mom. I used to always turn down lunch or dinner invites because I felt bad for leaving my kiddos home with my husband. However, now, him and I have both realized the importance of time with friends. So he takes time to go play pickle ball or race RC cars, and I take time to go have lunch or go workout with my friends. We have noticed a huge difference in our emotional states by adding this to our mix.
  5. Forgive Yourself. No matter what anyone thinks, nobody is perfect. You need to learn to forgive yourself when things don’t go as planned. Everyone makes mistakes, and it is so important to just be kind to yourself. As adults, we have so much going on and so many responsibilities. We need to learn to let some things go and to be kind to the body and mind that we have. Remember, you only get one.

Are you going through a deployment phase right now? Then, make sure to take a look at how to Take Care of Yourself during a deployment!

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