Anyone else out there feel totally disconnected from your body at times?
I feel it all the time during the workweek sitting at my desk for 9-12 hours a day and more sometimes. Connecting to my body doesn’t always come naturally to me, so I have to constantly remind myself to make time for physical self-care and that it can make such a difference in mental health and outlook on the present moment. I feel like this is me most workdays… 🥴
If that sounds familiar to you, then I hope the tips I have for you will help and be a good reminder to take care of yourself first before work throughout the day and week. But first, let’s go over some basics.
What is physical self-care?
Practicing physical-self care is taking the time to regularly take care of the one body that you will have for your entire life. Physical self-care is one of the eight key areas of self-care, including emotional self-care, spiritual self-care, psychological/mental health self-care, professional self-care, environmental self-care, and financial self-care.
If your back is sore from sitting all day, it’s listening to the signals your body is sending to stretch those muscles, work on your posture, and maybe get a new chair or make sure your set-up is ergonomic.
If your scalp is itchy from products you’re using, it’s being thoughtful about whether you should explore using something less harsh on your sensitive skin.
What are examples of physical self-care?
Physical self-care practices can range from activities such as moving your body and eating healthy. Physical self-care examples can look like taking micro-stretches throughout the workday, giving yourself a good foot scrub after a long hike or workday if you do manual labor, getting a massage, or as simple as drinking enough water. The important thing to remember about self-care is that it is about listening to what your mind and body need. 💆♀️
Physical Self-Care Ideas:
- Do a 15-minute morning yoga before you start work
- Walk or bike to work if you have to go to an office over driving your car
- Eat wholesome, nutritious foods that taste delicious and put clean fuel in your body
- Stretch at your desk or wherever you work throughout the day
- Set a timer to remind yourself. Some companies have programs that force you to stop working for 5 minutes and do stretches.
- Take a 1/2 hour walk after dinner before slumping into the couch (guilty of this one pretty much every night)
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day
- A good rule of thumb is about 0.5 to up to 1.0 oz for every pound you weigh. So if you weigh 130 lbs, that’s 65-130 oz or 8-16 cups.
- Practice good sleep hygiene (my list of reminders I keep in my sleep log is below)
- No screens one hour before bed
- Reflection time in my journal before bed
- Take a hot shower
- Stretch
- Tidy up
- Wear a sleep mask
- Drink warm caffeine-free tea like chamomile
- Have a window open or cracked depending on the weather
- Wash face, lotion, brush teeth, floss-even if you feel too tired
- Use silk pillowcases (In my 40s, I’m trying it all to stave off wrinkles and thinning hair. These ones from Amazon are simple and inexpensive)
- Rest when you’re tired, it’s the most efficient activity you can do
- Sit in the sunlight for a few minutes, but be mindful about protecting your skin
- Go for a swim
- Take a hike, nature heals
- If you’re overdue for any medical check-ups, get them on the calendar
- Do your nails (preferably with non-toxic polish, Cirque in Luna is my fave-pricey but lasts and super fun!)
What do you do to practice physical self-care? I’m always looking for new small ways I can integrate movement throughout the day. Please let me know if you have any tips for lower back physical self-care especially. Haha, now it’s time for me to get some help from you guys!
If you like this post, read more about self-care in my Ultimate Self-Care Guide and tips to practice emotional-self care to get stronger.
I hope you find some movement in your day today!
Good luck!
Thank you, Jaquelin!