Importance of Self Care

When the New Year rolls around we all resolve to take better care of ourselves. Sometimes self care can be seen as being selfish. Putting your needs ahead of, any one of the hundred of things on our never ending  to-do list, just feels wrong. In the fast paced modern society even taking ten minutes to yourself may feel like the precious time that could be spent doing something more productive or useful. When there appears to be some urgent chore to finish  or deadline to meet or a meeting to attend, spending time on Self Care may seem like a waste of your valuable time.

However, Taking time to take care of our physical and mental health should be a priority in our lives. It is difficult to argue about the necessity of self care in the modern society. No one else will be able to take better care of our bodies and our minds than us. Taking steps to incorporate simple self care routines in to your daily  life may help you to avoid major health problems in the future. Your health become your greatest asset as you grow older.
No one is more capable of taking care of yourself than you. Therefore it is extremely important that you prioritize self care, even if you feel like the busiest person in the world .    

• Take care of your physical health

This is the number one thing you can do when it comes to Self Care. Taking care of your physical health  includes the most basic self care practices and habits such as eating  a balanced diet, drinking  plenty of water, taking any medication that you need to take for your illnesses at the correct time, getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night, including some form of physical exercise into your daily routine, and prioritizing annual medical checkups and dental visits. Although these habits are obviously extremely beneficial to our health, it is pretty common to see these basic self care practices being easily forgotten. Therefore, make a conscious decision  to include good health practices into your daily routine this year.

• Put yourself first 

Although, this may sound incredibly selfish at first, there is merit to putting your own needs first. You must be in  good physical and mental health, to be a good parent, partner or a productive employee. If you are sick or stressed your ability to take care of your family and to do your job properly becomes compromised. No one can or is going to make your interests or needs their priority. Only you can do that. It is crucial that you take the time to prioritize the things that are important to you and your mental health even if you feel like that  you don't have a minute to spare for your needs. Take time to relax and take active steps to deal with any form of stress. Meditate or do yoga. Listen to classical music.  If you are a religious person take time to pray or do a bible study or anything that will help you connect with your faith. Adopt minimalist habits and simplify your life Take a day off  from work or even go on a solo weekend get-away.  Even if your family will find it inconvenient at the time, they will surely be grateful that you took the time to take care of yourself in the long run.

• Set up a plan to get your financial life in order

Stress relating to finances can lead to many mental and even physical problems. This year take time to come up with a plan to put your finances in order. This will include coming up with a debt repayment plan, saving up money for emergencies, and planing for your retirement. If you are thinking of asking for a promotion or a changing your career path, consider obtaining new educational qualifications or attending training sessions and improving your skills.  

Simple Tips on Money Management

• Make it a priority to take care of your mental health 

It is very important to prioritize your mental health. Take steps to reduce stress and anxiety in your life. Seek professional or medical help if you suffer from any form of  mental illness. Don't hide the fact that you need help to deal with an illness because of the stigma attached to mental health. If you require to take medicines to deal with depression or anxiety make it a priority. Create a habit to take the medicines as prescribed by your doctor at the correct time. Talk to a therapist or a mental health counselor at your school. Avoid or (if possible) completely cut out toxic relationships from your life. Surround yourself with people and things that make you happy. Be with positive people who support you and make you feel energized, instead of people who are constantly negative and drain your mental energy. Put your needs and mental health first. Life is way too short so don't waste it on people you don't deserve you or treat you with the respect you deserve.

How to reduce stress in your daily life 

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR FINANCES IN 2020 ( the simplest steps you can take)

• Take full responsibility of the financial aspects within your control

In life some  things are completely out of your control. A person cannot  accurately predict  a  job loss, an accident or an  illness. Stock markets can crash or a war on the other side of the world may send your country's economy in to a tailspin. Income inequality, under employment and lack of growth opportunities within the organization have been affecting employees around the world. These circumstances are clearly out of your control and there is nothing we can do about it. It is pointless to  spend your energy worrying about them.  

However, it is very important that you take full responsibility of every thing else within your control. It is important to hold yourself accountable for the choices you make concerning your money. How much you earn, spend, save and invest are generally areas you can control. You can make a choice to save a percentage of your income or you can make a choice to spend  more than you make on frivolous things and fall in to debt. Either way the choice is yours. If the company you are working for is laying off the workforce, you can become proactive and start to look for a job now instead of waiting until the day you are fired. Again, the choice is yours and the consequences of those actions are also yours to endure. 

It is crucial that we take full responsibility about how we manage our finances. Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, you can take positive steps to safeguard your finances.  Setting clear and precise financial goals, setting up a budget, creating a debt repayment plan, saving an emergency fund and funding your retirement account early will set you up for a better  financial future.

• Exercise self control and be disciplined 

For some of us, the simple reason that we fail to achieve any financial stability, even if we have well paying jobs, is that we lack self control. It takes discipline to spend less than you earn and to create wealth. Paying your bills on time or saving money for investment takes discipline. Sticking to your budget takes self control. Your finances won't magically improve if you don't take steps to curtail your unnecessary spending  and pay off your debts.  You must be disciplined to follow through with a debt repayment plan. You must be aware of your spending habits and be able to identify the good from the bad. Even if you earn a high income, if your expenditure is too high you won't have any savings at the end of the month. Exercising self control will allow you to control your impulse spending and prevent you from falling in to credit card or personal loan debt. Knowing when to say no to yourself  and learning the difference between what you can and cannot afford will greatly improve your finances. Make a plan, in 2020 to pay off your debt, or increase your retirement savings or to build a emergency fund and follow it through with conviction. 

• Educate yourself

Lack of financial education is one of  the main reasons a regular person fails to  achieve financial independence. Personal finance is rarely taught in schools and most of us rely on our family to give us advise on finances. Even then, there is hardly an open dialogue  about financial matters, with many people being reluctant to share details. Discussions  about money are  still considered to be a taboo.  Fortunately, the internet and public libraries give us  access to  tools and resources and the opportunity to improve our financial education and, learn about budgeting, savings and investment options.  We have to be willing to spend our time to learn and understand the basics principles of personal finance. It is always important to continue learning, and keep up with the current financial situations. In 2020 resolve to improve your financial literacy and to manage your money better to create a better financial position for you this year 

11 simple steps on money management

Disclaimer - It is important to note that the above tips are my personal views and opinions on money management. These tips should not be considered as  professional, financial or legal advice. This information is  general in nature, may not be suitable to your individual financial or legal situation. Always consult a competent and qualified Financial Professionals and a Legal Professional before you chose any investment, and, do all  necessary research and understand the risks involved  before you purchase any financial product.