Everyone keeps telling you that it’s important to take a break and work on your self care and self love, but why? This blog post will give you the complete lay-down including the importance of self care and ways you can begin practicing it.
Self care is defined as the process of taking care of oneself with behaviors that promote health & active management of illness when it occurs.
We are often so deep into our busy lives and huge to-do lists that we neglect ourselves. Imagine a close friend of yours feeling the way you are right now and imagine they come to you feeling stressed or frustrated. This could be because they feel as if they aren’t being as productive as they should be. Or maybe they are just way too burnt out to get out of bed. What advice would you give them?
I would tell my close friends that it is important to take a break when they are feeling burnt out because taking care of yourself is a long-term investment. I know, from experience, that if I am burnt out and I keep pushing, I completely drain myself and it takes me at least 2 weeks to get back on my feet.
This happened many times in college before I realized how inefficient it was. I would rather take a break and listen to my body when it is feeling burnt out and get back to work the next day (or the day after that), rather than push for a few more hours and lose 2 weeks. The importance of self care comes down to maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself and therefore being the best version of yourself.
Practicing self care to me, means treating myself how I would treat someone I love.
This post is all about the importance of self care.
Table of Contents
- Benefits of Self Care
- Ways to Practice Self Care
- Mental Self-Care
- Emotional Self-Care
- Spiritual Self-Care
- Social Self-Care
Benefits of Self Care
Taking care of yourself is not only a form of self-love and compassion, but it also comes with numerous benefits for your physical, mental, and social health. Here are some of the benefits of practicing self care:
Physical Benefits
- More energy: Getting enough rest sleep crucial for your overall health and well-being. Practicing self care can help you establish healthy sleep habits, leading to better sleep quality and more energy during the day.
- Improved immune system: Prioritizing self care can help boost your immune system, making you less vulnerable to illnesses and infections.
- Reduced risk of chronic diseases: Engaging in healthy self-care habits, such as exercising and eating well, can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Mental Benefits
- Reduced stress: Self care helps reduce stress by allowing you to take a break from your daily routine and recharge your batteries.
- Improved mood: Practicing self care can boost your mood and improve your emotional well-being. It can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and increase feelings of happiness and contentment.
- Increased resilience: By practicing self care regularly, you can build your resilience to stress and adversity. This can help you better cope with challenging situations and bounce back more quickly.
Social Benefits
- Improved relationships: Practicing self care can help you build stronger, healthier relationships with others. When you take care of yourself, you’re better equipped to be present and attentive to the needs of those around you.
- Increased empathy and compassion: By taking care of your own needs, you’re also better able to empathize and show compassion towards others. This can help you build stronger connections and relationships.
- Reduced burnout: Self care can help prevent burnout by reducing stress and promoting work-life balance. When you prioritize your own well-being, you’re less likely to experience feelings of overwhelm and exhaustion.
Ways to Practice Self Care
Practicing self care looks different for everyone and comes in many shapes and forms.
First, it’s important to take some time to feel the state your body is in and identify what type of self care you require. Which of the following aspects of your life are you looking to rejuvinate:
- Physical state
- Mental state
- Emotional state
- Spiritual state
- Social aspect
If you can’t decide on a specific area, that works too! You can just work on general self-care that will work on all aspects of your life.
Here are some ways you can start on your self care journey depending on what aspect of your life you want to work on.
Physical Self-Care
1. Move your body
Move your body regularly whether its going for a walk, stretching, running, practicing yoga, or doing pilates.
2. Fix your sleep
Some days you just need more sleep than other days and that is completely okay. I personally neglect this form of physical self care the most because I always feel like I am wasting my time and I could be doing work rather than worrying about how many hours of sleep I’ve gotten. However, I promise you it will be worth it. In the long term, you are saving yourself so much time because if you continue neglecting your sleep, you will end up burning out, and you will lose more time than if you just slept in the first place.
It is also okay to fix your sleep by taking power naps during the day! When I’m getting quite sleepy but still rather motivated to keep going and I know I don’t need a really long break, this is what I like to do. I like to make a cup of coffee and then take a power nap after drinking the cup of coffee. This way, by the time I wake up from my power nap, some of the caffeine is already kicking in and I’m ready to get back to work.
3. Identify what part of your environment is affecting your physical state
Sometimes it is your environment that is bothering you physically. Whether it be an old mattress or an uncomfy chair, I highly recommend identifying what it is and fixing it if possible. When I got my comfy new office chair after sitting on an old wooden one for years, I had immediately seen a boost in my physical set.
I had less back pain, I was able to sit at my desk for longer, and my desk no longer felt like a horrible place to be.
Mental Self-Care
1. Set a time to end your workday
This can be very difficult to do for some, but it is incredibly important to set a stopping time for your workday. I like to wake up at 6:30 AM and stop working by 8 PM every day no matter what. This way you prevent yourself from burning out and can give yourself an hour or two to rest all by yourself before bed.
Doing this can be exactly the step you need to take to end your days off right and start the next morning on the right foot.
2. Create a brain dump
When you are constantly working and stressed many different tasks and distractions can pop up in your head. Constantly thinking about all these thoughts and trying to multitask can be incredibly frustrating and stress-inducing. Try creating a brain dump for these exact moments. When a thought comes up in your head while you’re in the middle of your break, jot it down in your brain dump and completely forget about it. Then, when it is time for you to get back to work or you have rested enough, you can take a look at that brain dump and get to it.
This way, you can continue with your rest despite any stressful thoughts that come up and still get it done during the work period you have allocated for yourself. It is important to get as many things off your mind as possible during your breaks to make them most efficient.
3. Yoga/Meditation
Meditation can be an amazing way to provide rest for your mind. I also put Yoga on here as an option because although it goes along with physical self care, sometimes I am just not in the mood for meditation and I’d rather do Yoga instead. This still works completely fine, because when you are doing Yoga it can still provide you a lot of quiet time just for yourself to stretch while resting your mind.
Emotional Self-Care
1. Social media break
Everyone needs a break from social media every once in a while, especially when you are feeling emotionally drained. Never feel compelled to post on social media to keep up with others, because it is completely okay to take some time off and get your head right.
Social media can be extremely draining and tiring and getting off of it for even just a week can be exactly the reset you need.
2. Make your environment relaxing
Your environment can have a huge effect on your emotional state. It is always a good idea to add some candles and nice relaxing music going while you’re practicing self care. This can also help your mental health as well.
Spiritual Self-Care
1. Work on your faith
This aspect of spiritual self care isn’t for everyone, however, if you are feeling far from your faith, connecting to it may help you improve your spiritual state.
Take some time out of your day to practice your faith and care for yourself spiritually.
2. Engage with something inspirational
If you feel like you are lacking a purpose or lack creativity and inspiration, it is important to get that back up and running. You can do this in a few ways:
- Write in your diary
- Volunteer in your community
- Join an organization
3. Practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude can not only boost your mental health but also help you work on yourself spiritually and improve relationships with others. My favorite part of practicing gratitude is how it helps you start noticing the little things. Soon, you will begin to see every aspect of your life in a more positive light.
Gratitude will not come to you in a day and it is important to begin by taking it slow and practicing daily.
4. Connect with nature
Spend time in nature, whether it’s going for a hike or simply sitting in a park.
Social Self-Care
1. Be alone
Although this is under social self-care, sometimes you need to do the exact opposite. If you feel overwhelmed and overstimulated because you have been around too many people constantly, it is okay to take some time off for yourself. Be alone for a while. Take yourself out on a date. Go visit a library or a cafe all by yourself. Just be with yourself and your thoughts and enjoy your presence.
You can also start by saying no if you notice you are putting way too much on your plate. Choose yourself first.
2. Identify those in your life who give you positive energy vs. negative energy
In my opinion, this is one of the most important aspects of everyone’s life that they need to examine and fix if need be. The people around you have a huge impact on your life including your mood and state of mind. If you notice the people around you aren’t supportive and bringing you down, it is important to analyze your relationship with them and whether or not it is the best for you.
Having just one person around you with negative energy can greatly damage your emotional and mental state and vice versa with someone who has positive energy.
Barriers to Self Care & Overcoming Them
While practicing self care is important, it can also be challenging to prioritize it in our busy lives. Here are some common barriers to self care and ways to overcome them:
Time Constraints
One of the most common barriers to self care is feeling like there isn’t enough time in the day. However, making time for self care doesn’t have to be time-consuming! Here are some tips for finding time for self care:
- Start small: Begin by incorporating small self-care activities into your routine, such as taking a 10-minute walk or meditating for five minutes each day.
- Schedule your self-care time: Treat self care as an appointment or a class and schedule it into your calendar. This can help ensure that you make time for it regularly.
- Multitask: Combine self-care activities with other daily tasks, such as listening to an audiobook while doing household chores or practicing yoga while watching TV.
Guilt
You may struggle with feelings of guilt when it comes to prioritizing yourself and self care. However, taking care of yourself is not selfish – it’s necessary for your well-being. Here are some ways to overcome feeling guilty:
- Reframe your mindset: Instead of thinking of self care as a luxury, think of it as a necessity for your overall health and well-being.
- Practice self-compassion: Be kind to yourself and recognize that you deserve to take care of yourself just as much as anyone else.
- Focus on the benefits: Remind yourself of the benefits of self care, both for yourself and for those around you.
Lack of Support
Sometimes, lack of support from others can make it difficult to prioritize self care. However, there are still ways to overcome this barrier:
- Communicate your needs: Let those around you know that you need time for self care and why it’s important to you.
- Seek out support: Look for support from friends, family, or a support group. Sharing your struggles and successes with others can help you stay motivated.
- Consider professional help: If you’re struggling to prioritize self care due to deeper emotional or mental health issues, consider seeking professional help from a therapist.
By recognizing and addressing the barriers to self care, you can take steps to prioritize your well-being and improve your overall quality of life.
Overall, self care is an essential aspect of maintaining our well-being, but we often overlook it or dismiss it as a luxury. If we prioritize self care, we can improve our mental, emotional, and physical health, as well as our overall quality of life. Remember that self care doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive! It can be as simple as taking a few minutes to focus on your breathing or taking a relaxing bath.
We’ve discussed the importance of self care, common barriers to practicing it, and ideas for incorporating it into your life. However, it’s important to remember that self care looks different for everyone. What works for one person may not work for another, and that’s okay. The key is to experiment with different practices and find what works best for you.
So take some time today to prioritize yourself and practice self care in a way that works for you. You deserve it.
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