Self-Care is the Best Care!
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I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying “You can’t help others until you’ve helped yourself” or “You can't pour from an empty cup.” We can only give what we possess, and loving oneself before others is a pathway to fulfillment and happiness. When you prioritize yourself, you automatically multiply that, which you are able to give others, whether it is spiritual, emotional, or material.
Self-care is the best care! At its core, self-care is simply the practice of looking after your own physical and mental health in ways that support a good quality of life. Everyone’s self-care needs are different and should be based on determinants specific to your life. Self-care requires checking in with yourself and asking yourself how you’re doing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Some people use it to deal with difficult news stories, while others practice self-care just to maintain their happiness day to day. It is important to note, self-care is not synonymous with self-indulgence or being selfish. Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day.
“Self-care is part of the answer to how we can all better cope with daily stressors” explains Kelsey Patel, a Los Angeles-based wellness expert. It’s work stress. It’s the stress of trying to keep up with the pace of daily life, which technology has hastened more than ever (just think how many emails come flooding into your inbox each day). “People are feeling lonelier and less able to unwind and slow down, which makes them feel more anxious and overwhelmed by even the simplest tasks.”
“Self-care does not have to cost anything — it’s just doing things you enjoy. And a lot of the things we enjoy or feel fulfilled from cost nothing,” Dr. Amsellem, a psychologist from Cornell University says. “Stepping outside and taking a deep breath, for example, might be the greatest act of self-care.”
To get started with a self-care routine:
Determine which activities bring you joy, replenish your energy, and restore your balance.
Start small by choosing one behavior you’d like to incorporate into your routine in the next week.
Build up to practicing that behavior every day for one week.
Reflect on how you feel.
Add more practices when ready.
Get support through sharing practices from loved ones, a coach, a licensed professional (like a therapist or dietitian), or through your healthcare plan, community, or workplace.
Sources:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/self-care/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/help-yourself-before-others-why-important-justin-donne/