The term self-care is becoming more commonly used in today’s society.
The definition of self-care is any action a person might take in order to improve and aid their physical and mental health. This can range from the smallest of things – getting a haircut, going to your favorite coffee shop, buying your favorite flowers, chatting to a friend, or going for a walk on the beach. On a deeper level, it is about being mindful of and paying attention to your personal daily needs. For example: don’t be a workaholic. It is essential for your mental and physical health to take for you, for your hobbies, your family, and your friends. Keep reading for some essential self-care tips.
Why is self-care important?
Self-care encourages you to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself so that you can transmit good feelings to others. You cannot give to others what you don't have yourself.
Are you sometimes too hard on yourself?
Do you try to be the best at too many things?
Do you fill your calendar with too many obligations?
Do you over-commit?
Take a deep breath. Better yet, take a close (and honest) look at what you’re doing to yourself.
Taking a break amidst a tub of warm bubbles or under the warm hands of an experienced masseuse can help you feel like you’re escaping a stressful reality and taking a mental and emotional vacation.
It Gives You Time Alone
When you’re relaxing by yourself, it’s much easier to slip into a state of quiet meditation, enjoy some self-reflection, or let your problems work themselves out in the back of your mind, without taking all of your focused concentration.
It Offers Soothing Feelings
Giving your body some special treatment is a natural way to relieve stress.
Other than keeping your skin soft and your body in good repair, spa-related activities like massage and warm baths have been known to soothe even small colicky babies like nothing else.
Such activities continue to be effective tools for relaxation as we get older, but we sometimes forget to utilize them.
Learning how to reprogram your Subconscious Mind, reduce stress, sleep well, exercise regularly, and take a time-out when you need it are touchstones of self-care and can help you anti-stress, stay healthy, and be resilient.
Today, I’m sharing a quick infographic to help you find some ways to practice self-care without breaking the bank!
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
Being aware of how to practice your own self-care can be an essential part of dealing with other issues such as depression and anxiety, and even just managing the daily pressures of work and home life that can often get to a point where it feels overwhelming.
Taking care of yourself is not selfish.
In fact, in the long run, it will allow you to better be able to support the people you love in a positive way.
Finally, self-care is not just about taking time for yourself, it is about knowing yourself and recognizing when you need help, and when you are feeling mentally or physically drained.
Mental health is being spoken about more and more in today’s world, and just like physical health, it needs to be addressed and tended to. We cannot ignore signs from our mind that something is wrong, just like we would not ignore a pain in our body.
Perhaps next time you are feeling worn down, try practicing your own version of self-care – whatever that may be - and see if it helps to relax, re-center, and refresh yourself both mentally and emotionally.
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Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this article and found something to take away with you.
If you’d like more real-life examples of daily self-care, you can connect with me on Instagram.
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