Most adults are aware of the practice of self-care, but they don’t necessarily practice a regular routine. Understanding the basics of self-care and how they can benefit your overall well-being is the first step toward developing a routine. Here are five self-care habits guys should practice sooner.

5 Self-Care Habits Guys Should Practice Sooner

Expanding Social Network

Healthy friendships have a strong impact on mental and emotional health. Men should start self-care by expanding their social networks. Reflect on what friends are in your life and identify who has your back no matter what. Prioritize spending more time with these people and fostering your connection. If you don’t have these strong friendships it’s time to start meeting new people that you can connect with and not compete with.

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Diet and Exercise

Exercise is important for maintaining overall health and wellness. Don’t focus on always completing a high-intensity workout. Men should swap out one workout per week with a low-intensity activity. Use the time spent doing yoga, tai chi, or a meditative walk to work on mind-body awareness. Low-intensity activities come with improved blood flow and release feel-good hormones.

Eating a well-balanced diet is important for self-care. Making sure your body is getting sufficient vitamins and nutrients ensures it functions properly. At least once a week, men should treat themselves to a slow home-cooked meal. Take the time to appreciate the process of cooking and enjoy unwinding over a nourishing meal.

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Sleep and Hygiene

Getting enough sleep is important for maintaining a healthy mind and body. Practice good sleep hygiene to improve your sleep quality. This means sleeping in a completely dark room or wearing an eye mask and turning off your phone. Invest in a quality pillow that offers proper head support and spine health, and sleep on comfortable, high-thread-count sheets.

Go beyond the daily shower and practice more conscious hygiene. Men should take one day a week to truly pamper themselves. Realize the importance of regular massage or bodywork, go to a men’s salon for a beard wash and trim, or go sweat out the week at the sauna.

Reconnect With Hobbies

Having a healthy work-life balance is important when it comes to self-care. All too often, men find themselves disconnecting from work with mindless activities that come with vices like drinking or mindless eating. Activities that distract don’t count as self-care; they are shortcuts that temporarily make you feel better.

Beat professional overstimulates by taking up something new that is intellectual, cultural, or spiritual. Reconnect with old hobbies that you used to love. The simplest things can mean an emotional and mental breakthrough that improves your overall well-being. Anything that you find interesting, from learning a language to improving your cooking skills, can break the cycle of always being productive and help you discover your inner self.

Prioritizing Happiness

Learning how to say no to others is difficult, but it’s important to prioritize your happiness. Say yes to spending time and energy on your self-care instead of feeling obligated to say yes to friends or loved ones. Not prioritizing your happiness can lead to burnout, anxiety, and irritability—so start feeling empowered to say no to others.