5 Self-Care Habits Men Should Practice

When you think of the term “self-care,” you may imagine a robe, candles and a facial mask. When it comes to men, taking charge of self-care may be harder. It’s important to embrace things that make you who you are and more importantly, happy. Here are few self-care habits every man should practice:

Make time for you.

When you get stuck in your everyday routine, it can be easy to forget to take proper time for self-care. The ways of practicing self-care differ for each person depending on what truly makes one feel better mentally and emotionally. For example, you may feel better physically and emotionally when you go to the gym or listening to your favorite album. Try scheduling times to get that work out in during your week or be sure to listen to your favorite album on the way to and from work.

Be Social.

Making time and engaging yourself with those you love are an important aspect of self-care. Meaningful relationships have been proven to positively influence mental health. Being social allows you to share aspects of your own life and escape a stagnant routine. Developing and maintaining romantic relationships can also have a positive impact on your mood and your well-being.

Make Your Health a Priority.

Your health should always be a priority in your life. Start with making yearly doctors’ appointments. Check in with your primary care physician, specialists and regularly check in with yourself. Check in with yourself psychologically. This could be taking a few minutes before bed or after you wake up, to process your feelings and finding solutions to any issues you may have. These steps can help your mental health if you find yourself having trouble falling asleep or worrying too much. Staying on top of your physical and mental health is beneficial in the long run.

Chase Your Passion.

Find what sparks your interest and passion, it’s an important part of self-care. Do you enjoy reading or creating new things? Do you love watching or playing sports? What gets you going? Make time for these activities, whatever they may be. Be proactive about engaging the things your passionate about.

Recognize When You’re Exhausted.

It’s important to be self-aware when you start to feel exhausted. Self-care can be beneficial to avoid a burn out or reaching a mental or physical state of mind that would take time to recover from. Have you ever noticed that you start having a short fuse or get aggravated for no reason? Or do you ever feel so exhausted you don’t want to talk or spend time with your family at the end of the day? These signs like this, can show when it’s time for a mental health day. If a full day doesn’t fit in your schedule, try taking a few hours to yourself. Do what helps you “reset.”