According to a free report, around 1/3rd of people consults a doctor for stress related problems. And among these people, 57% admits that they are paralyzed by stress.
The cause of stress differs from person to person but the effects are the same once the stress takes control. These stress related problems can include restlessness, insomnia, fatigue, muscle tension, upset stomach, irritability, substance abuse, social withdrawal, lack of self-motivation, etc. There is a possibility that a person may have long-term effects like obesity, depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, etc.
Thankfully there is an effective remedy for stress, i.e. SELF CARE. You have come across this term several times. “Self-Care” is that one thing which most of us usually neglect. But the fact is unselfish self-care balances your emotional, physical, and mental health. It lets you do your work or task properly. It is not surprising that self-care can help you become more productive.
Let us see 4 self-care ways that will make you powerhouse of productivity:
1. Take a break from anxiety and stress by self-care
Of course, self-care will not eliminate all of the anxiety and stress in your life. But definitely it can give you a break from the common life and workplace stress. Other than that, self-care gives you a break from technology and makes you improve the quality of life by spending time with yourself.
More self-care activities will help you release more stress and that is important!
According to an article written by Barbara Markway in Psychology Today, you must focus on the activities that will encourage you to relax your mind, such as, massages, aromatherapy, or breathing exercises. You must also do the stuff that will make you happy.
Other than the above-mentioned things, you can do something that can assist you in polishing your skills, accepting yourself, and connecting with others. You can also engage yourself in spiritual activities such as meditating, and praying.
It is a known fact that there is no better stress buster than physical activities.
2. Self-care for cognitive functions
It is a proven fact that people who practice self-care precisely have a better mental capability. These people have better concentration and focus on the work they do. They tend to produce more.
For improving concentration and reducing mind-wandering, mindfulness is the most important thing. According to Harvard Health Blog, regular exercise helps you to reduce insulin resistance so that you can think and memorize more. The reduction of insulin in your body ultimately reduces inflammation and releases the growth factors. If you don’t get a proper sleep, then there is a direct effect on your focus, decision making abilities, motivation, and memory.
We use mobile phones to divert our mind from the stress. But the fact is it makes you more stressful. If you spend five minutes on your mobile phone, it damages your memory. It can also degrade the quality of your sleep if you use mobile phones before bed. The blue light that your mobile phone emits can delay the release of melatonin. For a matter of fact, melatonin is responsible for your sleep cycle.
3. Spend some time alone while self-caring
If you have a strong support system then you are lucky enough. And social support is proven to be very effective on stress, encourages you, and improves motivation to make great choices. It is said that being alone can increase the risk of altered brain function, cardiovascular disease, and depression.
But a study says that we also need some alone time occasionally. Science proves that solitude can lead to increased creativity, increase empathy, increase productivity, and build mental strength. It lets you process thoughts and ideas for yourself, solve many problems, etc. it is difficult to know what exactly you need or want when you are listening to what others want and need.
But when you are alone, it becomes much easier to get into that meditative state and practice your gratitude. Both are the best ways to increase your motivation quotient and reduce stress.
4. Self-care and hectic schedule
Although self-care has many benefits, it is not the priority of most of the people.
The one common reason that many people give is that they don’t have time. Thankfully, there are some ways through which you can combine self-care with your schedule.
To start with self-care, you should create a schedule which includes a morning routine, time slots for working on most important tasks during the productive hours, and small breaks throughout the day.
During these small breaks, stay away from the things that cause stress. Rather than that go for a short walk, meditate, read motivational books, meet friends, or listen to something inspirational.
A technique called “Pomodoro technique” is very helpful in adding breaks to your hectic schedule. For example, work for a specific amount of time, usually around 40minutes, and then take a small break, do some small activity. When you come back, you will feel recharged and refreshed.
Also, set boundaries for yourself. If you don’t want your work to b disturbed, just switch off your mobile phone and give full concentration to your work.
Self-care does not require any extra time or expense. When you focus on short, it is the most effective one.
To many people, self-care sounds like a luxury for self, but it is not like that.
Self-care gives you energy and motivation to conquer things that matter to you.