As we know, the holidays are a busy time of year. You may have spent the past couple of months hurrying to finish deadlines and keeping up with personal and professional obligations while at the same time trying to spend as much time as possible soaking up the Christmas season. As a result, you may have fallen out of your regular routine and are now ready to get back on track. 

The New Year brings a fresh opportunity to start taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Practicing regular self-care is important to not only feel your best but to perform to the best of your ability, no matter what you’re trying to accomplish. In 2023, be sure to invest in yourself by setting new self-care goals. 

Understanding What Self-Care Is

When you live a busy life, you may often find yourself rushing from one thing to the next without ever really taking time to check in with yourself. Maybe you collapse into bed at night without even having the chance to reflect upon the day or how you’re feeling, only to wake up the next day and start the whole thing over. 

When you continue to live this way, you’ll likely start to feel very drained. You may even experience burnout and struggle to have the same motivation that you once did. This is all a result of pouring out more and more energy without letting yourself properly refuel. You’ll begin to feel run down, and your mental health will likely decline as a result. You may even face a higher risk of developing anxiety or depression. The antidote to this is proper self-care. 

Self-care involves doing whatever you have to do to ensure your overall mental, physical and emotional well-being. It should be done every day, even if you feel like you don’t have the time. There is no one definition for self-care. What self-care might mean to one person could be different for someone else. The key is finding out what works for you. 

Some Examples of Physical Self-Care Goals 

Perhaps this year, you want to make your physical health more of a priority. You can do this by coming up with some self-care goals that will help you live a healthier life. When setting these goals, make sure they are realistic and attainable. They don’t have to be very involved, and they don’t even have to take up a large portion of the day. Rather, your goals just need to be something you can do each day to make sure that you’re taking care of your body. 

Some examples of physical self-care goals could include: 

• Trying to drink more water 
• Cutting back on caffeine 
• Getting active every day, even for just thirty minutes
• Cutting back on sugary or processed foods 
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator each day
• Focusing on fitting more fruits and vegetables into your diet

Some Examples of Mental Self-Care Goals

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and it is up to you to ensure that it is the best that it can be. Some mental self-care goals worth considering include: 

• Making an effort to stop negative self-talk
• Learning healthier coping mechanisms for stress
• Identifying negative thought patterns 
• Taking breaks from social media
• Spending more time outside
• Asking for help when feeling overwhelmed

Some Examples of Emotional Self-Care Goals 

So often, we brush our emotions aside instead of taking the time to process them. The following are some ideas of emotional self-care goals for the New Year: 

• Work on building quality friendships
• Consider working with a therapist 
• Try journaling 
• Practice gratitude by writing down three things you’re thankful for each day
• Make sure that you do at least one activity that is just for you each day

Additional Goals 

Self-care is the opposite of selfishness. It is essentially just about doing whatever is best for you to make sure you’re the best version of yourself. Even if waking up 15 minutes early each day or staying up 15 minutes later is what it takes, make sure that you make self-care a priority. 

Sometimes self-care just involves doing something fun for yourself or treating yourself in a way you normally wouldn’t. What is something that brings you joy and fulfillment but that you rarely make the time for? Consider the following ideas: 

• Buying that new item from the store that you’ve had your eye on but were hesitant to spend money on 
• Stopping to buy your favorite snack or beverage
• Picking up the ingredients to make a delicious, nutritious meal
• Having lunch and sharing in quality conversation with a good friend
• Creating art 
• Watching a lighthearted television show or movie 
• Taking a relaxing bubble bath to end your day

We all live busy lives and often rush from one thing to the next without making proper time for ourselves. When this process goes on for too long, we can become drained and burned out. We may lack motivation and be at risk of developing anxiety or depression. This is why self-care is so important. Self-care involves doing whatever is necessary to make sure that you’re feeling your best mentally, emotionally, and physically. In 2023, invest in yourself by making time for some form of self-care every single day. You’ll thank yourself. If you’re struggling with a substance use disorder or addiction, our team at The Kimberly Center can help. Call (855) 452-3683 today.