If you feel that your life is overscheduled and you have no time to catch your breath, you are probably putting yourself last and not investing in your own well-being as much as you should be. This creates a vicious cycle because you can’t feel your best without self-care, and when you don’t feel your best, it’s more difficult to perform at a high level.
Break this cycle and make yourself a priority. When you invest in self-care, you will feel better and also be better equipped to focus on your work and handle your everyday responsibilities.
Practice Mindfulness
When your mind is racing and jumping from one thought to the next, your body experiences stress and anxiety. To counter this, get in the habit of practicing mindfulness.
Mindfulness allows you to sit in the present moment and focus your attention on “now” rather than obsessing about the past or the future. When this happens, your stress and anxiety go down, and you get to enjoy a few minutes of peace and calm.
While there are several techniques that can help you achieve a state of mindfulness, meditation is one of the most well-known methods for doing this. When you meditate, you focus on an object, a mantra, or your breath for a period of time and try to stay in the moment rather than let your mind wander.
While this may seem difficult at first, it should get easier with each session. As Dr. Jason Campbell explains, you should attempt “to focus on your breathing or an object for the amount of time you set without letting other thoughts enter your mind. This may seem difficult at first, but it will become easier over time with practice. You can start by trying to stay focused for shorter periods and working your way up.”
If you find yourself struggling with this, you should try an app. A free meditation app can help you get started by providing guided meditations in many different formats and lengths. You can experiment with different options until you find a style that helps you feel centered and at peace.
Get Enough Sleep
When life gets busy, sleep is likely one of the first things you sacrifice. This is unfortunate because you can’t perform optimally if you aren’t getting the rest you need. In fact, sleep deprivation can cause a myriad of health issues, including:
- A weakened immune system
- Higher risk of chronic diseases
- Unwanted weight gain
- Higher risk of cardiovascular disease
- Reduced ability to think, concentrate, and memorize
So, get your sleep and optimize your health and performance!
Prioritize Exercise
When your days are spent in front of a computer, your body and brain suffer from inactivity. But luckily, exercise can offset the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
For best results, choose a physical activity that allows you to improve your cardiovascular health while also strengthening your bones and muscles. For example, boot camp workouts usually alternate between cardio and strength intervals, allowing your body to benefit from a well-rounded workout.
When life gets busy, make a healthy shift by prioritizing yourself. When you invest in your own self-care, you optimize not only how you feel but also how you perform. Ultimately, you can achieve more by putting yourself first on the list.
Comments are closed.