I am a recent graduate, so my lifestyle took a significant toll on me while in school. I ended up in a place where I didn't take care of myself because I didn't think I was worth the effort and time due to the things I was going through.
I started to learn about God again and came upon this verse about how meaningless sparrows are to us that we buy 2 of them for just a penny, and how God cares about them, so how much more would he care about us?
After hearing that a few times over time, it helped me realize that even if I don't see my value, God does, and that is more than enough reason to care for anything God made, and I have to care for myself to care for others honestly. Caring for myself allows me to enjoy life for what it is because I'm good regardless, so whatever life throws at me, it doesn't sink me.
I've been practicing doing what I love: cooking, gardening, watching YouTube, sleeping, walking outside, working, tipping, and trying to do acrylic nails. If it comes to mind, I try to experience it.
I manage stress and anxiety by reminding myself that if God is my focus, everything will be fine regardless. We often feel the negative moments more so it's consuming, and the joyous moment we pass by. Sometimes it's hard to believe, but our stress and anxiety often make our situations worse than they are, so I choose to focus on the positive parts of life instead of the negative.
I see my self-care turning into an automatic thing where I don't have to try to care; it's just a habit.