There are many things one can do to engage in self-care. 

You can learn strategies for self-care by going on a wellness retreat, joining programs, working with a coach or therapist who can help support your progress, and a lot more. 

The goal is to find out which self-care strategies work best for you, learn how to use these strategies, and implement them in your regular routine so that you can boost your well-being not only today but forever. 

Well-being is a choice that requires intentional and deliberate prioritization. “Committing to self-care and recognizing what we must do to protect and improve our well-being are key steps in taking ownership of our health,” - JAVMA.

A good starting point is to recognize if you are experiencing a change in your mood states, such as feeling more agitated, numb, or less productive than usual. If so, you are not alone. Those are common responses to the sense of trauma and grief we experience when undergoing rapid and unexpected change.

A few ways to get started with your self-care:

Make time for sleep

Sleep can have an immense influence on how mentally and physically you feel. Not having enough can also cause serious health problems like hypertension, obesity and heart disease, among other illnesses.

The National Sleep Foundation guidelines advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night.

According to an article from JAVMA, “Dr. Posner suggested avoiding napping after a lost night’s sleep. If you must nap, limit it to 20 minutes. He advised against sleeping late on the weekends to make up for lost sleep as it only disrupts one’s regular sleep patterns”.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise will help you improve your morale and alleviate stress and anxiety, both physically and mentally, not to mention helping you lose extra weight.

Eat Right

The food we eat has the power to either keep us healthy or lead to weight gain or diseases like diabetes, but it can keep our minds working and alert as well. Eating the right foods can help reduce memory loss and short-term inflammation, all of which can have long-term effects on the brain and the rest of the body in turn.

Take a Self-Care Trip

Taking a self-care trip can make a big difference to your mental health. Even if you don't feel especially depressed, going away every now and then for a weekend will help you disconnect, relax, and be rejuvenated.

It doesn't have to be expensive for these self-care trips; just drive over to the next town and see the sights or go camping nearby can get the job done. The goal is to get away from your daily routine and take the time just for yourself to do something refreshing.