The Importance of Self Care
First of all, what is it?
Self care is anything that you do for you in an effort to maintain optimal physical and/or mental health. It can be anything that makes you tick: going for a run, getting a massage, having lunch with a friend, unplugging from your phone and social media to sit in a quiet space and reflect. Maybe it’s your reward for making it through a tough work week, or a means of escape for something you might be going through. But despite how we commonly view self care, it’s not meant to just be a treat or a method of escape. It’s should be a regular occurrence in our lives. Not just when things are bad, but when they’re good too.
I know, you probably lead a busy life that doesn’t really leave much room for you to just do something for you. But where there’s a will there’s a way, and if this is something you’re truly interested in doing for yourself, step 1 is changing your approach.
It can be difficult for us to find time for something when we try to do it all at once or within a big chunk of time. So instead of setting aside a whole day set aside part of the day, maybe an hour to do something that makes you happy. Repurpose your lunch break to include some reading, or maybe writing a list of gratitude/journaling (more on this in another post! And if you don’t take a real “break” for lunch, you should definitely start doing that). Turn off the TV 20 minutes earlier than you usually do before bed to give your body time to wind down, and to give yourself time to think. Reflect on what you did well, what you didn’t do so well, and what you can do better tomorrow. Start doing daily affirmations as you get dressed for work or school, or maybe pull a Mary Jane and put them on post-it notes around your home. Spend 10-15 minutes a day only doing things that make you happy.
There are so many ways to add self care into your daily routine, whether it be by infusing it into things you already do or setting aside time specifically for that and nothing else. The bottom line is that it’s doable. Find your favorite self care practice, and run with it. You’re more than deserving, so don’t let anyone (including you) tell you otherwise. In a society where it's so important to show up for others at work, in friendships, and in relationships, don't forget to show up for yourself.
I hope you found this useful! Thanks or journeying with me.