HEALTH
self-care
SIMON SAYS story by Anastasia Sims photo by Carolina Watlington Remember the days when the hardest thing in life was following the leader in “Simon says?” Now, hours, days and even weeks blur
3. PRIORITIZE SPENDING TIME WITH PEOPLE.
When work becomes consuming, it’s hard to make time to see friends,
together, with work sometimes taking a priority over family and
but human interaction helps us feel connected – especially when
taking care of ourselves. But work was never meant to be the defining
busyness starts to feel isolating.
feature of our lives, said Steve Tyler, a senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Metropolitan University. When work becomes all consuming, it is difficult to find time to take care of yourself and explore what makes us happy.
4. “INDULGE” IN SOMETHING THAT IS NOT MEANT FOR WORK.
Much like making time to see friends, hobbies and passions fall by the wayside when life gets hectic. If we take time out of the week to be
Kelly Assien, a licensed mental health counselor in Gainesville, suspects
reminded of who we are and what we love, we feel more in touch
our society busies itself because we’ve become uncomfortable with
with ourselves.
being alone with ourselves. Whether it’s loading up your schedule until you have no more free time or simply staying at work late, we are a society that cannot stop going. As a licensed counselor of 17 years
5. SLEEP.
While sleep seems like the last thing on the list when you’re busy, a
with a variety of clients, Assien sees one overarching trend: We busy
National Institute of Health study shows that good sleep helps improve
ourselves because of unrealistic expectations.
problem-solving skills and memory performance. In the long run, sleeping might be just what you need to recharge for another busy day.
“Sadly, our society tells us we aren’t enough if we don’t do enough,” she said. “The discomfort of being present drives the distraction.”
6. VISIT A COUNSELOR.
Acknowledging the busyness is the hardest step, Assien said. Once Assien suggests one thing to her clients: self-care. While it’s
you do that, you don’t actually have to dedicate much time to it.
become a major buzz word in pop culture, self-care is a practice
While some of her clients visit once a week, Assien said it’s up to the
that allows everyone a chance to slow down and take a step back.
individual to schedule the frequency. Seeking help does not equate
The most reassuring part, Assien explained, is that relaxing is
to failure.
completely individualized. Here are seven ways to slow down and take care of yourself:
1. TAKE A BREAK OUTSIDE.
7. TURN OFF ELECTRONICS.
Assien said that in a world of technology, we are easily distracted
24/7. Getting out of your head is hard, but by taking time away from electronics, we are open to connect with each other.
Luckily, Gainesville is full of nature trails and parks like Devil’s
Millhopper Geological State Park and Paynes Prairie Preserve State
In the same way that being busy is not always a bad thing, Assien
Park. This makes going outside fun and easy. Sometimes just being
said slowing down does not have to be boring. Instead of being so go,
in the open air allows for clearer thinking.
go, go, Simon says take time for you. O&B
2. DO YOGA AND MEDITATION.
As cliché as it sounds, taking time to physically slow down can make your mind slow down as well.
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orange&blue magazine
