Published on
updated on
Reading 3 min.
To optimize your well-being, taking time for yourself is necessary. But how to achieve this? The secret lies in “planning”, believes a psychologist.
Because of the hectic pace of everyday life, do you never take care of yourself? It is high time to change things. Here are 5 special “well-being” days for you, inspired by the valuable advice of a psychologist.
Put yourself first
Faced with our many professional and family responsibilities, it is difficult to take time for ourselves. However, neglecting your well-being can have harmful effects on health (stress, overwork, etc.), reduce energy and productivity, and even affect self-esteem.
“Balancing responsibilities such as work and caring for your family often means your own health and well-being take a back seat. Our society focuses so much on continuing to do things for others, but it’s so important to give that back to yourself so you have more to give on those other days“, affirms Casey Tallent, psychologist at the Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center in the columns of the blog CNBC Make It.
So, taking care of yourself should never be seen as an option, but as a priority, both for our physical and mental well-being.
The good news? It’s never too late to start taking care of yourself. Parentheses that must be taken – to relax and refocus on the essentials.
On a daily basis, “we need to have time to relax. We need to have time to refocus on what is important to us, to practice mindfulness especially if we feel exhausted“, confirms the expert.
However, one of the best ways to take these “breaks”, believes the psychologist, is to… schedule them. The expert therefore recommends planning five days “well-being” every month.
5 days for yourself to plan
According to Casey Tallent, these five “typical” days would be ideal for feeling good in your body and in your mind.
- A day to connect with others. “I think lunch with a friend is a great way to stay connected with those who are important to you and who keep you balanced. The key is to schedule a time to connect with the people who bring you joy. joy, even if you’re on a video call or chatting on the phone. Maintaining positive relationships in your life can increase your overall happiness and help you live longer, according to an 86-year-old Harvard study that is still ongoing. assures the expert.
- A day to catch up on sleep. “It can be difficult to get an adequate amount of good quality sleep each night, especially during the busiest times of the month. Have a day where you focus on getting a full night’s sleep, taking a nap if you can need, would definitely be another thing I would add I feel like we often plan our month, our week, or our life, and forget to sleep. It can seem like prioritizing work over. “Sleep can help you be more productive, but it’s quite the opposite according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you need to get enough sleep to achieve optimal levels of physical and mental health,” recalls the specialist. .
- A day dedicated to yourself. “Having time for yourself is extremely important. And if you can dedicate a full day to yourself, it will benefit your mental health. Having a full day for yourself can sometimes be difficult, and so it may be necessary to Maybe start by having a morning, afternoon or evening to yourself to reconnect and do the things you find enjoyable, or the things you need to refresh and renew yourself. can take advantage of the day to take care of yourself, indulge in your hobbies or visit a new place”, confides Amélie Boukhobza.
- A day with less social media. “Se disconnectespecially social media, can allow you to take the time and space to connect more deeply with yourself. I think 24 hours without social media can be incredibly helpful but I find that people sometimes struggle to dedicate that much time offline. So I suggest being flexible. Many phones allow you to set time restrictions for your apps. Start by limiting the number of hours you spend on apps like Instagram and TikTok“, advises the psychologist.
- A day without a specific program. “The other day I would add to this list would be an unplanned day, like a day where you can just do what you have to do. A day without routine or the urge to stick to a schedule can be a refreshing way to relax and slow down in a fast-paced environment. It could be a day of cleaning, a day of meetings or a day of shopping. It can be anything you want. Sometimes you just need to not plan anything for a day, just because you may be very busy“, underlines the expert in conclusion.