“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” — Anne Lamott
Introduction
Self-care is the act of nurturing and taking care of ourselves to avoid emotional and physical exhaustion. In other words, it refers to taking a step back and rejuvenating before returning to our daily tasks. Self-care is not defined by any particular tasks, it depends from person to person. Any activity that makes us feel calm, happy and helps manage the symptoms of stress and anxiety can be considered as an act of self-care.
Self-care is often confused with self-improvement when they are not the same thing. Self-improvement is defined as the act of striving for improvement and doing better. It comes from a perfectionist mindset, one where we think that we have to do better. It’s harmful because it originates from a self-deprecating perspective where we believe that we have some gaps to fill like - laziness or procrastination - and that we have a goal to achieve. Sometimes when we are unable to achieve said goals, we start believing that we are not good enough and start blaming ourselves.
Self-care is when we start accepting ourselves for all our faults, and mistakes and make attainable goals. Most importantly, self-care calls for putting our happiness and well being over everything else.
Importance of self-care
Self-care is important in controlling the symptoms of anxiety and depression, it helps in reducing stress by managing stressors. It has been proven to minimise anger and frustration and increase happiness and energy. In daily life, one is expected to work to the fullest and keep up with the pace of everyone around. This causes burnout and even simple tasks seem difficult. Engaging in self-care will allow us to slow down the pace and take time out for ourselves before returning to daily tasks. It also increases productivity as we feel refreshed and ready to return to the normal routine.
Taking time out for ourselves and having a self-care routine has been proven to have long term health effects. According to researchers, self-care promotes positive health outcomes like managing stress, developing resilience and even increased life span.
When one is stressed, exhausted and unable to take care of themselves, it puts a strain on personal relationships. Self-care promotes a healthy relationship with ourselves which benefits our emotional health. This improves the outlook on life by reducing and managing stress.
Self-care strategies
Self-care works on all aspects of life -physical, mental, and social. Here are a few strategies to understand the benefits of self-care:
Physical Self-Care
Physical self-care can be extremely important in making us feel better as there is a strong connection between body and mind. This includes getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water and eating well. Going on walks or doing any form of physical exercise is essential as it keeps us centred and improves general health.
Taking breaks
Taking time out and engaging in activities that make us feel content is essential in ensuring productivity. Watching a movie, taking a shower, doing skincare, reading a book are just a few examples.
Kindness
Being kind and cutting down on negative self-talk will boost self-esteem and confidence. We tend to blame ourselves and pick out faults in every situation. Making mistakes is normal. Forgiveness and self-compassion are virtues that should be developed through learning and practice of mental self-care.
Meditation
Meditation has been proven to have positive effects on physical as well as mental health. It relaxes the body and mind and makes us feel calm and collected. It reduces stress and anxiety and also helps in clearing negative thoughts throughout the day. Even if it is for 10 minutes in a day, meditation should be practised as a form of mental and emotional self-care.
Socialising
Maintaining friendships and good social connections will ensure that we get help and support whenever needed. It provides a sense of belonging and brings positivity to life.
Misconceptions about self-care
Self-care is largely misunderstood in our society. It is viewed as something selfish or something that should be earned. A few misconceptions consist of:
Self-care is selfish
Engaging in self-care helps in keeping us centred and increases energy and productivity. It has a positive effect on us as well as our relationship with others. Besides, it is not selfish to take a few moments and relax, no one should feel guilty for that.
Self-care requires money and resources
There is no one particular activity that will be relaxing for everyone. It’s not necessary to buy expensive skincare or spend money on books in the name of self-care. It can be something as simple as taking a shower or cleaning the house. Self-care is not an all-encompassing experience, everyone has their interests.
Self-care is time-consuming
Although this may be true in some cases, self-care does not have to be time-consuming. In today’s day and age, we barely have time for ourselves and are pushed to the limit constantly. Taking out even 10 minutes a day to relax and slow down will not only energise us, but also be a good source of motivation throughout the day.
Self-care should be earned
We don’t need to be on the brink of burnout to slow down and relax. The mindset of having to push to the limit to “earn” some time off is harmful and taxing to mental and physical health. Self-care is a basic human right and has no conditions attached to it.
Conclusion
Most people fail to realise the importance of self-care in our lives. In today’s society, we are expected to constantly be on the go and work hard every day. But sometimes, we have days where just getting out of bed seems like a task and everything feels difficult to do. Practising self-care would not necessarily stop this from happening, but it will reduce the frequency and intensity of such days. Everyone has their version of self-care, but the main objective behind it is this same- relaxation and unwinding. Putting our happiness and well being first should not come with guilt. Taking time out, no matter how busy a schedule is and practising self-care will have long-lasting positive effects on stress and anxiety management, self-confidence as well as energy and motivation. It is crucial in today’s day and age and should not be neglected.
References
Commentaires