Self-care is one of the most essential aspects of ensuring that happiness remains at the forefront of our existence and that you can live with confidence that brings out the best in the person that you are. 

There's a lot of stress out there, arising in multitudes of shapes and forms and triggering us all for vastly different reasons. And unfortunate it is that so often self-care can go under noticed and under-appreciated when it really should remain as the star of the show to our everyday lives. 

The thing about it is that self-care absolutely does not have to be hard! In fact, there exist so many easy strategies that you can implement to ensure that every aspect of self-care remains completely satisfied within your own life.

So let's get into 5 really simple yet very applicable methods to practice self-care in a means that does not take a lot of effort, but makes for a very noticeable and valuable change to your days. 

Say “Screw It!"

You know when something in life is getting to you so bad that the only way you could ever imagine feeling better is to simply toss it out the metaphorical window to never think about it again?

But then, for whatever the reasons your mind and reality have so come up with, choose to hold you back from doing so, deeming that your unhappiness is worthy of suffering in order to follow through with whatever responsibility or life event it may be. 

But you know what? Sometimes you just have to say screw it! If that really is the only way to make you feel better, then why not follow through with that option?

In the end, your happiness really does mean more than most anything in this world. Although dealing and getting through hardships is part of being a human being, and you very much do have to navigate the important ones wisely, sometimes the best option for the longevity of yourself and your present existence is to simply say screw it and move on. 

So keep that in mind, go about it carefully, and you might really come to enjoy how it feels on the occasions that are right and when you do. 

Live In Your Truth

One of the most important aspects of self-care is clearly loving yourself, and loving yourself begins with living in your own truth. Don't let the opinions of others ever distract you from the things you love and enjoy deep down. 

If something is holding you back from pursuing your deepest internal dreams, you have to let it go, no matter what that thing is. Never be afraid to initiate change as well, as it is never too late to learn new things in life, especially those that you may have always wanted to pursue deep down.

The roof of self-care arises from loving your life, and loving your life begins with doing the things you enjoy and living the path you know you were meant to follow, so do yourself a self help favor and go ahead and start chasing your inner truth with sheer determination.

Balance Indulgences with Health

Sometimes self-care arises from treating yourself to something that might not necessarily be good or healthy for your body. And you know what? 

That alone makes it good because you enjoy it, you want it, and so you give it to yourself. Maybe it's food, maybe it's giving yourself a day where you do absolutely nothing. 

No matter what, it's absolutely okay and essential to provide yourself with plenty of indulgences in your life because, in the end, we really do only live once. 

But at the same time, you must balance this carefully with healthy choices, because feeling healthy can oftentimes be even more powerful and impactful than treating yourself to an indulgence. 

From overall self-confidence to proven health benefits, the right food and exercise can act as some of the best available forms of self-care, so simply balance the two wisely and you will find yourself smiling. 

Listen to Your Body

You will never be able to implement the correct and most effective forms of self-care until you listen to your body. And I mean really listen to it. Exactly what does it want, and how can you provide that to it?

If your body is feeling run down, then you have to let it rest, even if it means putting aside important responsibilities. Take that sick day off work, throw your evening plans aside. 

If it has bottled up energy, then listen to it and use your free time to do something active to get it out instead of just sitting around! Go on that run or hit the gym a little extra hard. 

Self-care works best with self-awareness, so just make sure to really listen to your body's needs and never shrug them off, even if in the moment that appears to be the best idea. Because in the end, no good ever comes from exhausting or frustrating yourself to a point of no return.

Show Off

We all deserve to show off and be proud. Each of us has our very special lives and our very special stories, and we have all done things and reached points all worthy of being inherently proud of. 

And it is absolutely okay to show these things off and to brag about them a little bit. What's the point of living if you can't express your gratitude for the things you get to do! 

Besides, people love hearing what others have to say, and this creates an opportunity to reflect on your accomplishments in a manner that allows you to hear valuable appreciation, support, and even constructive criticism when you so seek it out. 

It's simply a healthy thing to do in terms of self-care, as it instills a higher sense of internal pride for all you have done and all that you plan to do. 

This article has been brought to you by your friends at Farm Brand.