What is Self-Care?
These days self-care is trendy, but it holds merit in the health and wellness realm, and for good reason. We touched on a few self-care methods in our previous blog on “How to Promote Personal Wellness”, but in this blog we will go more in depth.
Self-care is commonly misunderstood. Many buy into the misconception that self-care is reserved only for those with an abundance of time and money, and that it exclusively involves luxurious days at the spa. But in truth, self-care is for anyone and everyone looking to contribute to and maintain a higher quality of life by directly contributing to their health and wellness, and there are several approaches to achieving that. Anyone looking to start a self-care routine should know that the whole idea is to apply their own personal flavor and find what works best for them, in the same way they would an exercise routine or meal plan.
And perhaps the most important misconception to squash: self-care is not selfish. As Good Housekeeping puts it, self-care is being intentional about how we take care of ourselves, and putting in small, purposeful and consistent efforts to bring such intentions to life. Healthline defines self-care as falling into one of three categories:
Care for your body.
As one might expect, caring for one’s physical body means creating habits that nourish it. More specifically, creating a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep routine. A well-rounded diet rich in healthy fats, carbohydrates and protein is key in the same way a consistent exercise regimen is: they achieve benefits for mental and physical health, which is a form of self-care. For high sleep quality, it’s best to limit screen time before bed, create dark and cold sleeping conditions, and have comfortable bedding and pillows. This primes someone for deep sleep, which restores the body improves the immune system, and decreases inflammation. There’s no need to spend hours in the gym, flip one’s pantry upside down, or invest in an expensive mattress to achieve results either; as is true for making and sustaining any positive change in one’s life, baby steps are best.
Care for your inner self.
Caring for one’s inner self refers to thoughts, feelings and emotions, and being in tune with them at all times. It is these indicators that give one a deeper glimpse into their life and wellbeing. Many times, this comes down to effective stress management.
Through this lens, stress-management tools, mindfulness apps and practices, and practices that connect the mind and body, such as yoga and tai chi, are extremely beneficial. Some may find comfort in talking to a certified professional or securing a therapy animal. The idea is to be emotionally intelligent and open with oneself in a way that aids in being emotionally proactive, rather than reactive, which constitutes greater intelligence.
Care for your community.
Cultivating meaningful relationships in one’s life has been shown to improve personal health by significant measures. The benefits we receive simply from spending time in community with people we love and appreciate is a key player in any self-care routine.
Others may find meaning playing on a recreational sports league, volunteering at a homeless shelter, or participating in a book club with close friends. What do all of these things have in common? Community and friendship. It is when a conscious effort is made to foster relationships and deeper emotional ties that we contribute to our self-care in one of the most meaningful ways possible.
The Power of Intention
While specific self-care activities vary based on personal needs and preferences, they all aim to achieve the same thing: to deliberately take care of our mental, physical, and emotional health. It is a way of living a balanced life and usually only requires a few minutes of our time each day. That’s something we can all make a little space for.
This article was written by our very own Megan Carter.