If you believe the pundits out there, they have started attributing self-care entirely to Millennials as if they are the only age group that needs one. Eye roll. 🙄

I’d say it’s a must for all of us. Trouble is, we have forgotten to incorporate the practice in our busy daily lives. Most of us have been conditioned to believe that in order to be considered a success, we have to be high achievers, adept multi-taskers, effective and efficient managers, busy jugglers. Lean-in with fellow cohorts while trying to achieve work-life balance. Yeah, right.

Think about it – doesn’t above formula for success sound like a machine to you? Uhhuh. Sounds like a robot to me. Guess what happens to a robot or any machine when it’s overused?

Time for some reality check, folks.

What changes have I made to incorporate self-care in my daily life?

Daily Meditation. I started practicing this when I was caregiving for my mom and it helped me get focused. Take baby steps. 5 minutes of closing your eyes and emptying your mind every day. You may find yourself shedding tears for no reason. It’s normal. That’s your mind and body healing from the daily stresses of life. Then increase it to 11 minutes, then 15 and so on. When you’re ready to move on to something different, try Vipassana or Sound Meditation. Take it from me, I used to have a monkey mind – busy whirling with all sorts of angst and ideas. Now I’m calmer and less stressed. My monkey has turned into a sloth!

Learn something new. Whatever it is that interests you. It can be a new sport, a musical instrument, language, gardening, yoga. Whatever but just for you. I’m an adrenaline junkie and an outdoor enthusiast so I’ve taken up SUP (stand up paddle board) and freediving lately. Both sport I thoroughly enjoy.

Daily exercise. Folks – we all know the brain-changing benefits of physical exertion: improves your mood (dopamine), focus and protects your brain from depression, delays onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. It’s one of the simplest activity you can do that has long-lasting benefits for yourself. You don’t necessarily have to have gym membership. Do power walks, bicycling or gardening. Just get your body moving.

Listen to Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki at her TED talk below and hopefully you’ll be inspired to get that body moving!

Solo activity. Me time. Time Out. Call it whatever you want but do something special for you every now and then. At the height of my mom’s last few weeks, and under a lot of stress and grief, I took self-imposed days off. To hang out with friends, to go to a spa, to take a walk. It helped me get my mind and body to rest from a depressing situation. I continue to do this today whenever I sense that my life bucket is starting to feel unbalanced. I suggest you do the same.

Balanced Diet. We are what we eat. My motto has always been to enjoy the food you’d like to enjoy but all in moderation. Pay attention to what you’re consuming and how these foods are impacting your body metrics. More whole foods and vegetables, less junk food. I have never followed any of the diet fads but I try to educate myself on nutrition. So far, I have optimal biometrics. So follow your instinct and just be mindful of what you eat.

As a Gen Xer you bet I am self-centered. I care about myself. How about you?