SUD Addiction Relapse Prevention. Go to any length to fight, relapse.

Most People Neglect Self-Care

• Self-Care Tactics can help you can protect your time, money, and self-respect.

• Techniques include setting boundaries, scheduling self-care time, and asking for help.

• Breaking difficult tasks into a series of easy, small steps is a key self-help tool.

“Self-care.” It’s a word that can mean different things to different people. Whatever you consider to be self-care, how do you find free time for your "me time?"

The following actions do not appear often enough on the menu of self-care choices, but they can help you carve out time for whatever activities replenish your mind, body, and spirit, as well as provide self-care in themselves. Neglecting to practice the seven behaviors below could have severe negative consequences in your life, such as exhaustion, career setbacks, burnout, lower, less money, and shaky mental health. Which is way this is posted and your reading, Contact us.

Get help when you need it. In our individualistic society, asking for help can be frowned upon as a sign of weakness. If you have internalized this attitude, it could hold you back from seeking and getting the help you need. Asking for help is most often a realistic response to your situation, not a sign of weakness.

Tip: Ask specifically for what you want. Ask a specific person. And remember, you have a right to ask for help.

If you are a working parent with more money than time, consider hiring a house cleaner or training your kids to help with chores. For help with emotional problems, ask a trusted friend, call your doctor, ask for a referral to a therapist or CONTACT US.

Avoid avoidance. You need to write a work report, but you find this task so unpleasant that you turn on the TV and binge-watch your favorite show. It is tempting to view these “fun” avoidant behaviors as self-care. But they are “false self-care,” because they pile more stress on top of the original problem. Now you have less time to finish the report and a growing sense of inner panic.

Change perfectionism into “excellence.” Most tasks don’t have to be done perfectly. If you allow yourself to adopt a “good enough” attitude toward minor tasks, you will get more done with less angst. Do you want to agonize over what setting to put the dryer on or whether you put the comma in the right place in a text to your friend? Save time and declare the work “good enough.”

Set boundaries. Here’s a key to getting your “me time:” Set boundaries. That means being assertive about what you want. Assertiveness—being able to say no in a direct, honest, and forthright manner without feeling guilty—will protect your time, money, and self-respect. Assertive behavior respects both your rights and the other person's rights, as opposed to aggressive "bully" behavior or non-assertive "doormat" behavior.

There is a popular idea that "money can't buy happiness." Not true. While money isn't the only ingredient in the happiness recipe, it is true that financial security increases happiness, decreases stress, and enables more choices in life. This is based on numerous psychological studies, as well as common sense. Let's face it: Economic insecurity and poverty generally lead to a life of stress and worry.

Tip: Take steps toward economic self-sufficiency. Spend less, save more, and open a retirement account. Have enough money in the bank to cover emergencies. Educate yourself about finances.

Declutter. Decluttering your surroundings or home can lead to a boatload of benefits, including a greater sense of control, reduced stress, and even increased brainpower, higher productivity, and better decision-making, according to studies by Psychology Today.

Cleaning your home or surroundings isn't just a physical process, but a mental one as well. Reducing clutter minimizes distractions, allowing your brain to concentrate on more important tasks at hand. The act of organizing your space can also provide a sense of control and order, which can alleviate feelings of stress and promote a sense of well-being. The mental rejuvenation that comes from decluttering is clear evidence of the link between our physical surroundings and cognitive function.

Put free time/me time on your schedule. Having a daily routine for your self-care—whether you define that as exercise, meditative activities, family time, reading, or alone time—can ensure that you build self-care into your day. Your schedule also provides a ready-made way to turn down unappealing requests.

Tips: Think about your daily routine. Do you enjoy it? What's one small tweak that could make it healthier or more pleasurable?

Having time to yourself is usually considered a prerequisite for self-care. But how do you get this “me time?” CALL US. These tactics promote self-care by creating free time and the ability to use it the way you want. CALL US.