We live in a society that pushes us to move faster and faster, and to be more and more overwhelmed. That’s why it’s so urgent to know how to take care of ourselves. Here are the best practices to put in place to get back to basics and give ourselves the importance and care we deserve.

1 – Time to breathe

Taking care of yourself doesn’t always require you to do something. In fact, it can be as simple and as natural as breathing.

In fact, taking care of yourself is first and foremost an awareness: I am much more than what I do. I’m me, just me.

And, as we concentrate on our breathing, we come back to what’s essential. Everything that, just a few seconds before, was inviting us to stress, flies away with the rhythm of our inhalations and exhalations.

Our heartbeat becomes slower and deeper, our bodies more relaxed and our thoughts more subdued.

So I invite you to start a new habit: as soon as you’ve finished doing something, give yourself the time to take 10 deep breaths and let the calm wash over you.

2 – Take time to set an intention to take care of yourself

Too often, we feel outside ourselves. Stress consumes us and we can’t catch our breath. In fact, everything gets mixed up and we can’t tell the difference between what’s important and what’s not.

This is a signal that we’ve forgotten our intention.

What is our intention? What’s driving us today? In fact, what have we chosen to live on this day?

Unfortunately, all too often, our days get off to a flying start, and we forget to refocus on what’s important.

That’s why, in order to take care of ourselves, it’s essential to take a moment each day to set an intention.

To do this, I wholeheartedly invite you to set up this habit: in the morning, while you’re still in bed, set an intention: today, I want to be happy, I want to be positive, I want to be more benevolent, I want to be zen…

Indeed, if we haven’t set an intention, we’ll be subject to the vagaries of the day.

Yes, when something falls into our lap, we’ll forget that we still have a choice to make: do I let this event make me lose my serenity or not? What was my intention this morning again?

Taking care of ourselves means no longer forgetting ourselves in the face of the day’s ups and downs.

3 – Time to slow down

Society would have us believe that a life well lived is one in which our diaries are full to the brim.

But a life well lived is a life you lead at your own pace and in your own way.

That’s why, in order to take care of ourselves, it’s time to allow ourselves to slow down whenever we feel the need.

Unfortunately, we tend to struggle when our body sends us signals to slow down. Yes, we ask it to go on and on, as if we had no right to do less.

That’s why I’m inviting you to set up a habit so that you learn to slow down a little every day: take 10 minutes, every day, to meditate. It’s not a question of meditating to achieve enlightenment, because we’re not here to chase after yet another goal, but to learn to do nothing.

4 – Take time out before responding to take care of yourself

We’ve learned to please and satisfy others.

In fact, just as we chase love and crave it, we chase the approval of others. And this leads to relationships that stress us more than anything else.

All too often, our time and energy are put at the service of others, and at the end of the day we don’t have a drop left for ourselves.

Taking care of yourself means taking back control of your time and energy.

To do this, I invite you to set up a new habit: when someone asks you something, pause before answering. Just a few seconds during which you come back to yourself and ask yourself: does answering yes to this request really please me or not?

In fact, all too often, we respond to others without even taking a moment to reflect, to check that we’re really available for it.

Do we have the time? Do we have the energy? In fact, do we really want to take the time and energy to do what’s asked of us?

Taking care of ourselves means understanding that our time and energy are not inexhaustible, and that we need them for ourselves first and foremost.

5 – Time for compliments

We’ve learned to expect compliments from others and this leads us to do all kinds of things to make others like us, and sometimes these things don’t really please us. Worse, sometimes they take us away from who we really are.

What’s more, as we all know, we’re not fully happy when we’re waiting in vain for compliments from the people around us.

What if we decided to please ourselves before pleasing others? It would simplify our lives.

So I wholeheartedly invite you to start a new habit: every day, give yourself 3 compliments. 3 compliments on your looks and 3 compliments on your qualities.

It may not always be easy at first, but make yourself a promise and start this new habit, because it will change your life!

Taking care of yourself means seeing the good and the beautiful in yourself. It nourishes and soothes the heart and soul.

6 – Time for the body

We don’t always realize it, but our bodies need more physical contact than we think.

In fact, it needs to anchor itself and for us to pay attention to its sensations.

So I wholeheartedly invite you to start a new habit: every day, take the time to touch and massage your body consciously.

Touch your face, your arms, your belly.

You can even practice yoga from time to time, to listen to the sensations in your body.

Because taking care of yourself means realizing how lucky we are to have a body, and giving it a little attention every day to thank and honor it.

7 – Take time to welcome yourself and take care of yourself

We don’t always realize it, but there’s a whole world inside us that’s bubbling over. In fact, we only realize it when it’s boiling over. I’m talking about our emotions.

Yet they’re always there, inside us, with things to tell us, but all too often, we don’t pay attention to them, so they’re forced to bang harder inside us.

That’s why I invite you to start a new habit: every day, take a few moments to ask yourself: how do I feel? What emotions did I feel today? And let your emotions come to you. Don’t hold them back. See the sadness or anger pass. Take the message and let the emotion flow.

Taking care of yourself means welcoming your emotions as they come, so that they don’t invade and pollute your body and mind.

8 – A time to honor life

Our minds are designed to focus more easily on the negative. In fact, it’s our survival instinct to focus on the negative, because, possibly, it puts us in danger.

Unfortunately, this weakens our connection with the magic of life. And we feel it in our bodies and hearts. Everything becomes heavier, even us.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to start a new habit: every day, thank life for 3 things. What makes you feel grateful to be alive?

Indeed, taking care of yourself means not letting the negative overshadow everything, and to do that, it’s essential to remember the positive.

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How to master your mind: my 8 powerful methods
Discover How to take time for yourself: 6 powerful tips

I recommend this inspiring book:

Radical Self-Love: A Guide to Loving Yourself and Living Your Dreams by Gala Darling

Gala Darling’s book, Radical Self-Love, is a transformational guide that encourages readers to prioritize self-care and adopt a radical self-love mindset. Through personal anecdotes and practical exercises, the book enables us to free ourselves from the self-doubt and pressures of society, fostering a deeper connection with ourselves. It is a source of inspiration for all those seeking to embark on a journey of self-discovery and embrace a more compassionate and fulfilling life.

A very entertaining and inspiring book! If you’re willing to take the time and make the effort to embrace the wonderful person you are, this is a great guide. I feel like Gala is a good friend now, she has such an open writing style, and spreads joy and glitter in her wake.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself