Articles to Help You Prioritize Self-Care in the New Year

With a new year upon us, many of us are thinking of resolutions and new beginnings. We are pondering what this might look like with uncertainty still clouding our current reality. Through the joyful highs and heartbreaking lows we are already experiencing in this new year, it is important to find ways to practice self-care. Let the following articles help guide you toward peace, healing, and love as you make an effort to take care of yourself this year. 

1. Self-Care Tips for Empaths

With so much pain and uncertainty surrounding us in our daily lives and on the news, it can feel almost impossible not to internalize the heaviness. We grieve with those who are grieving and hurt alongside those who are struggling. It can feel overwhelming, especially when we are still in the midst of a pandemic and can’t support each other in the same ways we typically would. These self-care tips are a great place to start when you are feeling overwhelmed and need to take a moment to regroup—especially if you are an extra sensitive soul. If you’re in need of a reminder to prioritize your mental health, read on.

2. Feel-Good Poetry Collections to Settle the Mind

Reading poetry can help give us a much-needed escape, allowing our minds to rest in comforting imagery and relatable prose. These poetry collections all offer something different to the reader, from reconnecting with yourself to experiencing the serenity of nature. They offer simplicity, nostalgia, and even childlike wonder. Promising to soothe your mind, allow this article to point you in the right direction if you seek to incorporate reading into your self-care routine. Looking for more suggestions? Check out these recommendations from Caring Crate.

3. Poems To Remind You of Your Worth 

This thoughtfully curated collection of poems is a beautiful reminder to love ourselves and seek a deeper appreciation for what makes us unique and complex. These poems encourage readers to reflect on how truly extraordinary it is to be a human being, each with our own stories, gifts, and talents to offer the world. Self-love isn’t about loving an image of perfection, but learning to love and appreciate ourselves in the messy realities of who we truly are—and as we grow in this, we can encourage others to do the same. Self-love frees us up to more authentically be who we were always meant to be, humbly and graciously seeking to grow each day. 

4. Writing Poetry as a Way to Heal and Process 

Writing is a self-care staple for the overwhelmed heart. It gives all of us (even those in non-writing professions, like medical students) an opportunity to pour out the things we’ve been feeling as we take a step toward processing them. Writing time can be a therapeutic way to start putting what’s on our hearts into words. Whether this is a practice we execute alone or alongside a group of friends, writing for self-care gives us the chance to reflect on our lives and remind ourselves of the things that matter. 

I hope that these articles help you begin this new year with a refreshed resolve to prioritize self-care and self-love. While we process the events of 2020 and look forward with hope for healing, may we constantly seek ways to grow in our love and understanding of ourselves and each other.