Theoretically, everyone knows that we need to take care of ourselves, love, and cherish. That is, we should engage resources in soul and body, be harmonious, friendly, strong, and successful. But in practice, it turns out that not everyone treats themselves that way. It seems to be nothing complicated – waking up in the morning, stretch sweetly and smile, take a shower, conduct a meditation session, have a good mood, meet with friends in the evening, improve our dating experience, and have a full sleep at night. But not everyone lives by these rules. Why do many neglect this, even knowing the benefits of self-help for men?
Why Self-Care for Men Is a Top Issue Today
From childhood, we are told about the importance of helping others, showing attention, participation and care in relation to other people, for example, when dating single women. But what to do with our own desires and needs, after all, our psychological and physical well-being largely depends on the ability to relax, enjoy art, walks or pleasant communication? Learn to take care of yourself!
When a man is nervous, he strains emotionally, and emotions, as you know, come from the central nervous system, the brain simply sends the necessary signals. Of course, in this way, the whole organism begins to work negatively, which often leads to vegetative-vascular dystonia. In addition, the immune system is disrupted, the body weakens, and you can easily pick up various diseases. To regain your strength again, you need to feel happy.
Caring for yourself is a conscious investment of energy, money, time of a man in his own emotional, physical and psychological health. The ability to take care of yourself is extremely important nowadays as the ability to satisfy one’s needs reduces anxiety, maintains a good mood, and also helps the man build relationships with both others and himself. After all, when a man is serious and attentive to his needs, he is able to better understand the needs of his loved ones, as well as take care of them more effectively.
Men’s Self-Care Is Not Only About Appearance and Style
To be happy, healthy, full of strength and energy, it is important for a man to pay attention to himself. No matter how strange it sounds, everyone takes care of hygiene, appearance, and style, but in reality, this is not the care that is needed and important for us. Our soul, mind, and psyche require much more attention than the body. But, for some reason, we don’t talk about it or think about it in the cycle of everyday affairs. But this is exactly what helps stay in good health, both physical and moral.
Most men are deeply convinced that they take care of themselves, although, in fact, they don’t even suspect that taking care is not only hygienic care and delicious food. It is much wider. This is attention to yourself, and the ability to say no, and rest without a sense of guilt for it, and the protection of one’s interests and desires. A man who takes care of himself doesn’t feel the need to offend or hurt anyone. He radiates peace to the world and reacts only to what is important. Therefore, to take care of yourself correctly and completely, it is important to love yourself, hear yourself, and feel that you want to do this at a given time.
Practices and Ideas for Self-Care You Need to Try
We have prepared a list of self-care ideas for men. Make a plan of men self-care for two weeks and compare your well-being before and after its implementation.
1. Manage stress
Try to reduce the amount of mental stress in your life. A lot of work or the need to care for a loved one can be the source of stress. Determine what you need to take control of, which is usually just your reaction to a stressful situation. Look for different self-care ideas for stress reduction. Practicing relaxation techniques will help you increase your energy, motivation, and productivity.
2. Get distracted (but only for a while)
When unpleasant situations happen in our life, we often try to distract ourselves. Someone goes to a bar with friends, someone watches series, someone goes shopping and buys everything that catches their eyes. This is a good option, but there are also pitfalls: you just run away from the problem. But in a certain period of time, you will still have to return to the trouble and try to settle everything.
3. Look for ways to emotionally relax
When you get nervous, a simple distraction is not the best way to take care of yourself. It’s better to direct yourself in a good direction. For example, reading and watching movies or video clips help find the necessary information, a conversation with a colleague or friend helps understand your thoughts and fears, and your favorite music improves your mood. Find something that will help you feel better emotionally and suggest ways to solve problems.
4. Take care of your physical health
Yoga from a meditation master and a course of expensive massage will not change the situation if you don’t monitor your physical health. Try to reconsider your habits: develop a regime of going to bed and waking up, form a diet, after all, change the mattress and pillow if you are not getting enough sleep. If you have been worried about your health for a long time, then consult a doctor for a solution to the problem.
5. Meet with friends
Getting together with your friends is also taking care of yourself. You experience a surge of oxytocin (the hormone of happiness). Go to a bar or stay at home, tell them everything that bothers you. Maybe your friends can give you good advice. You will feel better emotionally. This is one of the best self-care ideas for men.
6. Play sport games regularly
Movement is good for your body. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. It’s okay if you can’t exercise every day, just try to devote most of the days of the week to it. Choose activities that are interesting and enjoyable for you. You can diversify your workouts with different sports.
7. Eat healthy foods
A healthy diet will help maintain a normal level of energy and the health of the body as a whole. Yes, you may have difficulty preparing healthy food if you are busy at work or care about someone else. But, ultimately, the quick snacks and fast food dishes may deprive you of energy and health.
8. Have a full sleep
You must have a good night’s sleep. For normal functioning, a man needs 7-9 hours of sleep. Of course, if you are stressed, overworked, very busy at work, care for loved ones, it can be difficult to adhere to a normal sleep schedule. But you have to try to create all the conditions for this.
9. Eat dark chocolate
High-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa and more) contains several ingredients that promote relaxation. Flavonoids in sweets dilate blood vessels, and thereby, lower blood pressure. At the same time, tryptophan (an amino acid) promotes the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood. So, a bar of good chocolate can serve as a kind of self-care for men too.
10. Have lunch or dinner with your loved ones
Cooking and sharing a meal with your loved ones is already manifestations of love. Both a regular family dinner and a trip to a new restaurant with friends unite and give many pleasant emotions for the body and brain. And, of course, the point here is not about magical fried vegetables. Families that find time for a joint lunch or dinner are stronger and warmer.
11. Do a good deed
Why is it considered one of the best ideas for self-care? Well, by giving, we get much more…sometimes more than we could imagine, and more than we can give. Helping others, we improve mood and strengthen self-esteem. At this time, the same parts of the brain are activated as in situations when we do something for ourselves. Helping others makes us happier.
12. Chant the mantra
Choose a positive phrase for yourself, for example, “I will be incredibly successful” and repeat it to yourself when you practice men's self-care rituals. Inhale deeply and slowly and try to get rid of all extraneous thoughts and feelings in your head. Concentrate on the selected phrase and repeat it. Thus, you tune your brain to positive thoughts and strengthen the connections between neurons.
13. Go to the forest
If you want to relax, go to the forest. This form of meditation, known in Japan as Shinrin Yoku, is used by people to enter a state of peace. Take a walk between the trees, inhaling deeply and concentrating on the birds singing and the rustling of leaves. This is very good as a form of self-care for guys.
14. Allow yourself to be alone with yourself
Be sure to give yourself a few minutes a day to be with yourself. It doesn’t mean that you solve some problems during this time. You just sit, listening to what is happening inside you. Ask yourself questions: what do you want now, what will help you feel more joy, happiness, and pleasure? These valuable minutes of communication with yourself will replace a huge number of actions that you sometimes perform without thinking about why you really need it.
15. Arrange a day of SPA
Consider these health care tips for men. Yes, men also visit SPA. To achieve a deep recovery, it is not necessary to go out of town or to a resort. There are many procedures for relaxation. For example, SPA procedures are comparable in effect to several hours of full sleep. Men also benefit from this type of self-care.
Learn to appreciate yourself not only for the “right things” in relation to others but also for useful actions and signs of attention to yourself. It is not easy for many of us to treat ourselves well, but learning this is necessary since each manifestation of self-care for guys is a step towards inner freedom and accepting ourselves as people. We hope that you will find a moment to look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself that you are worthy of care. When you put your desires and needs first, you will feel much happier and healthier.
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