What Is Self Care And Why Is It Important?
‘Self care’ describes anything that we purposely do to positively impact our physical, mental and emotional well-being. Many of us have busy schedules and will often forget to make self care a strict part of our day to day routines. Self care activities are often neglected, but the concept is becoming increasingly talked about.
Self care is important to keep us physically and mentally healthy and practicing self care encourages us to maintain a good relationship with ourselves, helping us to transmit good feelings to others. Whether you are an over-extended student, a stressed out mom, or a busy entrepreneur or employee, self care can help us to see the beauty in life and avoid us feeling drained and overwhelmed by our responsibilities and commitments.
Health Benefits Of Taking Time For Yourself
Improved mental health
Spending time on things that help your well-being and development can help you to maintain an affirmative outlook. You are likely to feel grateful, motivated and happy. Practicing self care can encourage you to gain more from life and to use your time in positive ways.
Improved physical health
With improved mental health often comes improved physical health, and vice versa. If you devote time to keeping your body healthy and strong, you are likely to feel happier. Your body does a lot of work to get you through your day to day routine, you should be kind to yourself and treat yourself well.
How To Kick start A Self Care Routine
Maintain a good diet
Keeping a healthy and balanced diet is a fundamental part of caring for your physical and mental well-being. If you can ensure that your body is receiving the right vitamins and nutrients, you will feel more energized and will be more motivated to engage in other activities.
Have a good sleep routine
Having a good sleep routine will also help you to feel energized and avoid fatigue. If you are well rested, your body can recuperate and your mind can recharge. Good sleep can help to keep your thoughts rational and ensure that your outlook is positive.
Exercise regularly
Exercising is great for your physical health and it can help you to stay fit and strong. Regular exercise is also great for your mental health as it facilitates the release of endorphins and other feel good hormones. If you exercise you are likely to feel more confident and empowered, increasing your motivation to engage in other activities.
Engage in hobbies
You should invest time in experimenting with different hobbies and interests to find out what excites you, relaxes you and makes you feel happy. Some of these hobbies can even be turned into ways to make money from home. Some people prefer to engage in creative activities such as making art, making music or writing. Other people prefer more thrill seeking activities and like to spend their time playing sports or being adventurous in the outdoors. There are many things that you can get involved with, there is no pressure and you can decide how much time you would like to dedicate towards these activities. You may find that as time goes on, your preferences change and as you meet new people you may be introduced to new hobbies and interests.
Know yourself
Sometimes figuring out what is good for us can be challenging and confusing, sometimes our feelings towards certain things can change and other times we may feel like something is wrong but struggle to specify the cause. It can be helpful to keep a diary or a written log to remind yourself of what things help you in specific situations or circumstances. Writing journals can also help you to unload your thoughts regularly to avoid things building up to an unmanageable extent.
Thinking of ways to make personal self-improvements
Engage in things for your own personal development. Learn a new skill or work towards a promotion. Improving your financial situation can be a great way to feel happier and more in control. You could try to save money in various ways including becoming more energy efficient and saving on your Oncor Energy bill.
