Self-care and self-management

Self-care and self-management are the twin halves of looking after yourself and allowing yourself to lead a happier and more fulfilling life. Today, we would like to present you with a few activities which - using as little as ten minutes a day - will leave you feeling a lot calmer, less stressed and happier. 

For a full and happy life, we need to look after just three key areas: mind, body and outlook. 

MEDITATION 
To take care of the mind, we suggest meditation. It has been shown to greatly reduce stress, improve concentration and raise awareness of the self, increase happiness, slow down the ageing process, boost cardiovascular health and improve overall wellbeing. Simply take ten minutes out of your day to practice meditation. There are hundreds of YouTube channels which will teach you the basics of meditation and, if that's not your thing, there are many places such as Quantum Foundation and Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka where meditation classes are offered. Just 10 minutes of breathing exercises can bring about amazing changes from within. 

EXERCISE
No matter how old you are, unless you are getting the proper amount of exercise, things will start to hurt. If you are doing a sedentary job (and who among us aren't) you will find that your body will start to feel fatigued and achy. For working women, and especially working mothers, finding time to go to the gym may be difficult. Thankfully, there are other methods of keeping fit – doing body weight exercises at home, doing yoga, etc. Even going for a walk around the neighbourhood instead of taking a rickshaw a few times a week will greatly help in the long run. 

OUTLOOK
Out of all, this is the hardest, but also the most rewarding. Having a positive outlook in life has been intrinsically linked to increased happiness levels and higher levels of fulfilment in life. Remember (especially when you are stressed or feeling down) how truly blessed you are in your life. If you can look at the storm and smile through it, you can do anything. 

There are other miscellaneous ways of self-care and self-management. Monthly spa routines can keep the body detoxified and stress-free. Besides going for traditional oil massages, one can also opt for an ayurvedic spa. They have certain ways of massaging, focusing on relieving pain from different parts of the body. Meanwhile, little things like drinking a glass of lemon-honey water or washing the body with a paste of milk and turmeric can also make you stress-free and beautiful as ever. 

The practice of these little things reminds you of slowing down a little when you are racing through life. 

By Harmony Spa