Why Taking a Self Care Trip May Just Be Exactly What the Doctor Ordered
Indeed, the frantic pace of life can leave us all feeling a little worse for the wear at times. This is why taking a self-care trip to 'reset' our mind, body and emotions becomes more of a necessity than desire. The BluePrint Health blog shares some places you need to see if you just have to get away for a bit.
Seattle
Seattle is one of the most popular destinations for those looking for a refreshing change of scenery. Furthermore, Seattle has the best of worlds - an incredible skyline and incredible natural beauty that is sure to rid your mind of any worries weighing you down. In fact, visit Seattle for a day, and you're probably going to want to stay much longer. Apartment rentals in Seattle also aren't too bad on the pocket, either, which is also one less thing to worry about at the end of the day. When searching for a suitable apartment here, you're also likely to find one that meets most (if not all) of your requirements in terms of amenities. If you can't wait just a moment longer (and who could blame you) you could speed up your search by looking for apartments near Seattle online and go for the 3D virtual tour route which is included in some listings.
Fort Lauderdale
When you need to take your eyes off your current challenges, why not concentrate on the beautiful seaside views of Fort Lauderdale instead? This scenic city has everything you could ask for as far as natural beauty goes. However, it is the idyllic ocean-side views of this lovely city that consistently come out on top. Like Seattle, you're also likely to find your dream apartment fairly quickly too, as there are a wide variety of homes to suit pretty much everyone's preferences, regardless of if you're a family of one or ten.
Atlanta
Atlanta is one of those places that has the perfect combination of both natural and city beauty. If nature is the one thing that calms your mind and senses the most, then passing the time away in 'The City in the Forest' as Atlanta is otherwise known is certain to take you there. Alternatively, if you need a reminder of all the good things in life, Atlanta has a rich cultural history and is the birthplace of many famous people who have gone on to do great things. So, if you're looking for a place to 'reset' your stale mindset, Atlanta could be it.
San Diego
San Diego is one of those cities with a charm like no other. Furthermore, it’s the ideal place to visit (perhaps even live) if you’re looking for a complete change of scenery. In fact, it’s probably this very quality that makes San Diego one of the most sought-after destinations for those looking to escape the monotony of daily life. Moreover, you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to relaxing good-for-the-soul activities in this popular city. For example, if you love animals, the world-renowned San Diego Zoo is certainly something to see. Or perhaps you’re just wanting to kick back and relax for a day (or three) near the sea in which case San Diego has got you covered. It’s no wonder why people are flocking to visit, and even live, in this idyllic city.
In summary, when life has seemed to have gotten the better of you, and you're feeling the need to get away from it all, then you should take heed of these warning signals and take that break you deserve. Furthermore, if we want to function at our best self-care is not only acceptable to do every once in a while, but it is vital to our overall well-being.
Image via Pexels
Overcoming Addiction: Strategies to Defeat Substance Abuse
Overcoming substance abuse is one of the most difficult things you can ever do, but putting the time, energy and effort into such a noble cause is certainly worth it. You don’t have to face the battle alone, though. Plenty of family and friends will be there to aid you along the way, and you can make progress by following these tips as well.
Avoid Temptation
Recovering from addiction doesn’t happen when you stop using drugs. To really change your behavior and your life, you have to create a new life that makes it easier to not use drugs than to use them. One of the best ways to keep from using is to avoid situations that make it more likely to use. These times often occur when you are hungry, angry, lonely or tired--feelings that often come up at the end of the day.
You can avoid these situations by taking better care of yourself. Eat more during the day so you’re not as hungry at night. Find a support group and/or some good friends so you’re not alone. Learn to let go of your anger (some therapy might help here). Build better sleep habits so you’re not constantly tired. Avoid physical places where you will be tempted--your local bar, your old dealer’s house--and avoid being with people who make it more likely you will be tempted, such as people you used drugs with in your previous life.
Learn to Relax
Relaxation may sound like an optional part of recovery, but it’s absolutely essential to have some time to relax as you fight this battle. Tension can build up quickly in your life, and you need a regular mechanism to be able to clear the tension away and focus on what’s important. You should set aside some time every day for relaxing in whatever way works best for you. This may be a walk, a nap, or working on a hobby that you particularly enjoy. You should do whatever works for you to clear your mind and recenter your focus on your goal each day.
Meditation is another great way to relax, even when everything around you is busy and crazy. Try a few different types of meditation until you land on one or two that work well for you. There is no right or wrong type, so just go with whatever your preference is. The most important thing to remember is that stress management is absolutely crucial to maintaining emotional balance and thus avoiding the temptation to backslide into substance abuse and addictive behaviors.
Adopt a Service Dog
Service dogs are trained to act as companions for people who have some sort of disability. This has traditionally included physical impairments, but dogs are now being trained to help people who have disabilities that aren’t visible, such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Trained mental health service dogs like this can help with anxiety by bringing medication during an anxiety attack, leading you to someone if you’re in a crisis, or providing physical pressure against you to calm you down. You will need a recommendation from a licensed medical health professional to apply for a psychiatric service dog, but this may be something to look into if you are facing depression on your road to recovery. You don’t want to leave depression untreated because it can lead to deeper issues down the road.
These simple tips are a good start that will help as you fight for sobriety. Always be honest with those around you; this is one of the most important issues you will face, and you cannot make progress by hiding anything. Bringing everything into the open will give you the freedom you deserve on your road to the rest of your life.
Photo from Pixabay
How to Mindfully Include Self-Care In Your Daily Routine To Prevent Burnout
Burnout is something we all experience at least a few times in our lives, and it’s a relatively common symptom of overwork and constant stress, especially in working adults. This feeling of being drained and overwhelmed doesn’t just affect us emotionally, but can have major impacts on every aspect of our lives and our mental and physical health as well.
The negative effects of burnout, when left unchecked, can affect our work, relationships, and even our bodies. It can lower your immunity and make you vulnerable to various illnesses and other long-term issues, and can lead to a premature death.
So how do we take care of ourselves when something like burnout can seemingly happen without warning? Here are some small things you can do for yourself every day to keep burnout at bay and live a less stressful life.
Reevaluate your priorities
When you’re feeling burned out, this is a sign that something in your life just isn’t working, and this chronic stress is most probably attributed to your job. While you might not want to think about the busy schedule you have ahead of you on a given day, it’s important to think about what needs your attention and to consider what’s more or less important, as you may be neglecting things that are much more significant to you and in the long run.
Learn how to set boundaries and not to overextend yourself at work so that you have more time for yourself and your loved ones. Learning proper work-life balance can make you feel much more accomplished at work and more satisfied with your personal life.
Prioritize your sleep
Burnout affects all aspects of your life, and that includes sleep. It can be easy to forego sleep when you think you need more time in the day to accomplish your tasks, but not only will this end up being detrimental to your work quality and performance later on, but it will also have long-term effects on your health.
Studies show that burnout has been associated with insomnia, high blood pressure, and heart strain. Going to bed at a regular hour every night and getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep can help decrease burnout significantly.
Do something you love to do for yourself
When you let work overshadow your entire life, you forget to take any time for yourself. Think about what you love to do, whether big or small and dedicate time for that activity.
Take at least an hour every day to take a walk, read a chapter of a book, or do your makeup, as things like these can do wonders for your mental health. Such small activities involve minimal mental effort but can benefit your health and wellness, helping you to destress and take a moment to care for yourself at the start or end of the day.
Take vitamins to boost your immune system
Burnout negatively affects your immune system and can cause you to catch colds and the flu frequently and, if left untreated, can severely and negatively impact your physical health permanently.
Aside from exercising and having a good diet to take care of your body, taking vitamins for your heart, bones, and overall health can fill up gaps in your diet to help you get stronger and feel better.
Final Note
The effects of burnout are long-lasting and heavily impactful on all aspects of your life, so it isn’t something you should simply brush aside. It’s important to take active steps to combat and prevent it for the sake of your emotional, mental, and physical health.
Self-care is something you can do for yourself even in the smallest of ways every single day, and these accumulative actions can help your health significantly when they become a part of your routine. By mindfully taking small steps to care for yourself every day, your life as a whole can improve drastically.