Carers tend to get approximately zero time to look after themselves. Just in case you do get a spare moment between doctor’s appointments, dinners, cleaning, driving, and the many other things you do as the superhero that you are, here are a few easy ways to take a load off. 

Not only could these suggestions help you from feeling boxed-in, but they may even give you a little more energy to boot. It’s best practice to love yourself flaws and all because life is way too short to care about the opinions of others (including that one in your brain). Here are 5 ways to take care of yourself, if you feel like it once you have the time.

Solitude

Spend some time alone, even if it’s a few minutes–look, if you have to hide in a closet, that’s totally understandable. When not having to hide, you don’t have to do anything expensive or overly complicated. 

You could listen to your favorite tunes and dance like no-one’s watching, pour yourself a glass of bubbly and watch your favorite movie, run a nice hot bath and try to make it look like the ones on Pinterest, bake cookies, eat an entire cake, fix your car, build a kitchen table–lots of things, just comes down to whatever floats your boat. Whatever it is, being kind to yourself could pay you wellbeing dividends for all the years to come.

Throw Away Some Clutter

You don’t have to get to it all, just some will do. If you have things in your life that are just getting in the way, they’re clutter and it’s time to kick ‘em to the curb. It could be old clothes, newspapers, toxic relationships; you know, the simple stuff. If it’s hindering you rather than helping you, well, ain’t nobody got time for that. 

As you get rid of the physical items, go ahead and dump as much emotional baggage you can find as well. Forgive those who have hurt you and/or forgive yourself for letting them do it. Leave it all in the past and move on with your life.

Regulate Your Inner Critic

It is said that we have 12,000-70,000 thoughts every single day. When your inner critic is at the helm, more than a few of those thoughts will be self-destructive, downright hurtful, and really not all that helpful. Some of the things an inner critic can come out with shouldn’t even be wished upon a mortal enemy. 

But how do you shut it down? Just listen. Take the day listening to your thoughts as they arise. At this point, just observe. Once you’re aware of the kind of things your inner critic has been saying behind your back, you’ll have a better idea of what you’re up against. The next step is to write down some of the negative thoughts as a list so that you can see how far from the truth they really are. Treat yourself with as much compassion as you would your best friend. This takes time but can vastly improve your life, mental health and capacity for dealing with challenging situations.

Indulge in a Hobby

Don’t have time for hobbies? Productivity and organization could be a hobby in and of itself (just LOOK at Marie Kondo). If not, what are the things you wish you could do if you had the time? If you have been thinking of reading a new book, today could be that day. Alternatively, you could work on your camera skills–that’s something that can be done even during the chaos and may even yield some pretty heartwarming results. If you like writing, start out on a new project. In short, do something you have a talent for and love at the same time or maybe even start with productivity and automation hacks before moving onto your favorite hobby.

List the Things You Love About Yourself

It’s healthier to focus on your attributes than finding things you wish you could change about yourself–you’re unique and wonderful just as you are right at this very moment. 

Make a list of the things you love about yourself and carry it around in your back pocket for when you need reminding.

About Stephen’s Place

Stephen’s Place is an independent apartment community for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, located in Vancouver, WA (7 minutes from Portland, OR).

If you have a loved one with developmental or intellectual disabilities, who is looking for a community to live in, please contact us for more information. 

Stephen’s Place is a private-pay apartment community due to our state-of-the-art amenities and programs. We are a nonprofit and do not profit from our community. We are private pay because we spend more than some housing communities to ensure that our residents are comfortable and can safely live their lives with independence and dignity.