Self-Care

 

     “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…”  So opens the novel “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens.  In a similar way that could be said for many people around the world during the year 2020.  Many people witnessed the great compassion of humankind and yet at the same time saw first-hand the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.  This past year has been a hectic year for many all over the world. People have been coping with all that life brings in many ways. One way that some have been trying to cope is by working on self-care practices. There are many reasons why introducing practices of self-care into your life can make a pivotal difference in your life. For many, these practices and habits get overlooked in the chaos of everyday events. 

What Is Self-Care

     “Let’s clear up one common misconception from the get-go: Self-care is not synonymous with self-indulgence or being selfish. Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, you can be well, you can do your job, you can help and care for others, and you can do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day.” So states an article at Everyday Health (https://www.everydayhealth.com/self-care/ )  Certain activities are common self-care practices. This means taking care of yourself so that you are healthy physically, and mentally.

     You are at your best so that you can work, interact with friends and family, and you can do all the things you need to and want to in a day. This can look very different for each individual but some common self-care activities are listed below.

Self-Care Practices:

•   Yoga

•   Taking a hot bath to relax

•   Enjoying a cup of tea

•   Journaling

•   Meditation

•   Spirituality Practices

•   Getting a massage.

•   Listening to calming music

•   Cutting down on screen time.

And many more.

Why Is Self-Care Important

     Adding self-care practices to your life has many benefits. Self-care is shown to reduce stress. In addition, many people feel that making time in their lives for self-care practices improves their own mental health greatly. Many people also report greater levels of happiness in their daily lives when incorporating self-care practices.

     Taking care of yourself can also improve physical health. In addition to self-care on a personal level, self-care is a factor when facing illness, disease, or disability. Many health care professionals are adopting an integrative health care style approach that includes checking in with patients to help them seek balance in all aspects of life. This helps people facing illness or disease recover faster, better, and more successfully overall.

Tips To Practice Self Care In Your Life 

•   Get enough sleep

•   Balance your commitments and priorities

•   Make a weekly schedule

•   Say no to optional tasks or events you don’t want to take on.

•   Stay on top of physical and mental health

•   Exercise

•   Allow quality time for friends and family.

     Making space for self-care in your life provides great benefits to physical and mental health. Some aspects of self-care are personally enriching and fun.  You might find yourself enjoying such activities and learning that they actually make you more productive in your daily activities.

     As I commented in the opening statements: Self-care is not selfish; it is vital to being a well healthy and balanced person. This lets you face whatever life throws at you without breaking your stride.  However, there is a caution that comes with self-care:  Make sure you don’t make your activities selfish ones and become unbalanced.  That is the tendency we lean toward because we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"To better be of help to others,

you must first be able to help yourself."