Self-Care Isn’t Selfish
Self-care is looking after your health and wellness in a holistic and preventative way. It is more than a passing trend, it is a lifestyle shift that is here to stay and one that has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Practicing self-care does not mean you are choosing yourself over your loved ones. It means that you are simply being mindful of your own needs, so you are better able to support the people you care about. Self-care is vital for building resilience toward those stressors in life that you can't eliminate. When you've taken steps to care for your mind and body, you'll be better equipped to live your best life.
Unfortunately, however, many people view self-care as a luxury, rather than a priority. Consequently, they're left feeling overwhelmed, tired, and ill-equipped to handle life's inevitable challenges.
Different Types of Self-Care
When we think about self-care practices, it is important to understand this word implies more than just manicures and massages. Self-care isn’t a privilege reserved for the rich and famous, it’s a vital part of our being that allows us to become our most happy and grounded selves.
Self-care isn't just about finding ways to relax. It's about taking care of yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. In order to care for your health and well-being, it is important to find a balance that allows you to address each of these areas. Sometimes you might need more self-care in one specific area in order to restore balance or find relief from the stressors in your life.
Physical Self-Care
You need to take care of your body if you want it to run efficiently. Keep in mind that there's a strong connection between your body and your mind. When you're caring for your body, you'll think and feel better too. There are lots of significant health benefits that come from making physical self-care a priority. Regular exercise will help you keep your muscles strong, reduce stress and can help with weight management. Taking the time for regular exercise can have any or all of these effects on your physical health:
Better sleep
Lower stress levels
Stronger bones
Better cardiovascular health
Better circulation
Better mood
Social Self-Care
Social self-care is all about cultivating our feelings of love, appreciation, gratitude, and connection with others. Socializing is important for our mental health (yes, even for introverts!) and is just one aspect of your self-care that should be tended to regularly. Social self-care also encompasses setting healthy boundaries. While socializing is important, sometimes our lives can become so hectic that saying “no” or rescheduling plans is a vital way to protect ourselves from burnout and getting overwhelmed.
Try to be intentional with your social care activities in 2022. Your relationships should always uplift and energize you – so find creative ways to tend to your social care without sacrificing your own mental health!
Mental Self-Care
Mental self-care means giving yourself a break from the worries and stresses that you have to deal with all day long so that you can relax, clear your mind, and focus. Taking regular mental health breaks for self care can help you manage the symptoms of conditions like depression and anxiety, and for some people can get rid of those symptoms entirely.
Mental self-care involves activities that help declutter your mind and reduce your stress levels. Caring for your mental health looks different for everyone. Some easy ways to relax each day include reading a book, doing a craft, unplugging from technology, decluttering your home, taking a class, or going for a walk. There is no wrong way to take care of your mental health, as long as it makes you feel relaxed!
Emotional Self-Care
Care for your emotional needs by identifying what it is you’re feeling and then moving forward in a way that honors yourself and those emotions. When our emotional self-care needs are not being addressed, we tend to feel frustrated and burnt-out.
Emotional self-care may include activities that help you acknowledge and express your feelings regularly and safely.
Take a few deep breaths, especially before expressing your feelings
Create boundaries that feel good to set and encourage others to do the same
Reserve the word Sorry only for those moments when you’re truly sorry
Experience your emotions without judgment, guilt, or embarrassment
Give yourself the grace to try again when moments don’t go as planned, acceptance of yourself as you are is so important
Making Time
The number one reason that people neglect self-care is by saying they don’t have the time. But how many hours have you spent on social media today? If you are aware of your time, then you have the choice to make time for self-care. Making an active choice to prioritize self-care over other things is step one.
Self-care isn’t selfish, but it can feel that way when you’re used to putting everyone else first. When you first start taking care of yourself some of your friends and family members might resent that you no longer put them first. That’s ok. Keep practicing self-care and be the best version of yourself.