Why Self-Help Books Don't Work (And How To Nevertheless Benefit From Them)

Life is stressful. No news flash there. What can be surprising to so many of us is that our stress manifests itself in ways which can hurt ourselves and those around us. We need to be proactive about taking care of ourselves. We can’t afford to always put ourselves last on our to-do lists. We’re important. Whether our self-care takes the form of meditation, a spa day or psychotherapy Waltham MA, we need to ensure we’re doing the best for both ourselves and those we love.

Simple Steps

Each of us can find a way to squeeze a few minutes of self-care into each day. Take time over your morning cup of joe to really smell it before you taste it. Don’t just drink it. Enjoy it. Feeling new aches and pains in your body? Counteract those by doing a little bit of light stretching, some yoga or a few moves of Tai Chi. Taking time to enhance the mind-body connection can be a significant way to lessen your stress. Meditation helps, too. Many people make the mistake of thinking meditation has to be twenty minutes or more. That’s not the case. YouTube or your fitness app have meditations available in two-, three- and five-minute increments.

Indulging in your passion for a bit can help you destress. Garden, craft, bowl or play with your kids or your dog. Anything you do to focus on what you love can elevate your mood and lower your stress level.

A Helping Hand

When the time comes for us to need more than what we can accomplish on our own, we each have resources to which we can turn. Many communities offer different groups which meet where people can talk with one another about various issues. Some of these are actual group therapy sessions, and others are simply people who are willing to listen to one another and share the wisdom gained by life experience. Seeking the help of a licensed therapist or psychologist could help, too.

Don’t count out the benefits of pairing modern medicine with your efforts, either. Sometimes our bodies work against us in ways a medication can ameliorate.

There’s no shame in getting the help you need. Acknowledging you have a problem and taking steps to fix it should make you proud of who you are.