Six tips to practice self-care

Many cities nowadays, including Hong Kong, are hustle and bustle.  People are crazy busy and have a hard time in juggling work and family. Very often, ourselves are being placed in a lower priority. But in fact, self-care matters a lot as it keeps us healthy and resilient, even during tough times. 
Below are a couple of ways to engage in self-care. 

1) Learn to say no to others
Some people find it difficult to reject others for meetups and parties and in turn making less time for themselves. Social gatherings may become less enjoyable or even further catalyse your burnout. Learning to say no politely to others means make time for and unwind ourselves. That is a nice act to treat yourself better. 

2) Schedule a self-care time for yourself
Having a self-care routine is not easy but definitely vital. Why not start with small steps? Having a hot shower, enjoying a good movie, going for a night walk or reading a book are all great self-care exercises as long as you find yourself energised and soothing afterwards. A 15-minute daily session can already make a difference! 

3) Take time away from work
Living in a busy city is suffocating because of the tremendous workload and the 24/7 work culture. The advanced technology has made it even worse. You never feel like you can rest as emails and messages from bosses or colleagues could easily intrude into your personal time. Setting a downtime by drawing boundary between work and life could keep you less stressed out. 

4) Do a tech-detox
As said, technology has make things easier but at the same time, can make one getting addicted. Researches have stated that screen time has actually associated with adult depression as it actually disrupted the resting pattern of one. Moreover, the information bombardment can actually keep one overwhelmed. So starting from today, banish your smartphones or any electronic devices and taking a refreshing break. 

5) Take good care of your body
Doing regular workouts has been often said. But keeping yourself moving indeed play a crucial role for your mental health. Yoga, plank and meditation can all be alternatives to traditional exercises such as running and swimming. Eating nutritious food is also essential. We usually stuff in fast food during meals due to our hectic work schedule. However, healthy food options gives us a smarter brain. Remember, you are what you eat.

6) Embrace your imperfections
Oftentimes, we may be self-criticizing or self-blaming. After all, we all live in a competitive society when comparisons are everywhere. We feel inadequate and always struggle to strive even though we have tried our very best. We tend to underestimate what our inner resources. Try to treat yourself fairly and begin to acknowledge your effort and talents. We all deserve to be treated well despite all our defects. 
They may all appear easy but only through regular practice can we gradually develop a habit. So pick one or two you find easier and get started now.