Self-care is the art of loving yourself and being mindful of your needs. It may seem unimportant, but you actually need it more than you know. Here’s why.
When was the last time I did something for myself?
This is a question that many always forget to ask. In this busy world, you’ve probably always put something else first: bills to pay and a family to take care of. Needless to say, navigating life isn’t easy, and taking care of yourself gets set aside, so other things can be taken care of first.
Being the responsible adult you are, you try your best to prioritize other people and fill their cups with care as much as you can. But where does this leave you?
While taking care of others isn’t wrong, neglecting yourself isn’t also right. If anything, doing so will just leave you feeling frustrated and empty, tired and stressed about life.
That’s not the only way to live.
Your wellbeing matters, too, and you are just as important.
There’s a way for you to live life at peace with yourself despite your responsibilities. All you need is to pour some love into your own cup, too.
This is called self-care, and trust us, you need it.
LOVING YOURSELF, PURPOSEFULLY
Self-care is a decision to take care of your needs.
To take care of oneself means to intentionally pay attention to your psychological and emotional wellbeing. Interestingly, the word intentional means something that is “done on purpose”. This is a very important facet of what self-care is about: it is prioritizing and taking care of yourself purposefully.
It can be an exercise routine or a soothing massage; self-care doesn’t look the same for all people. In fact, it can even come in many forms for just one person. What truly matters is it’s done with mindfulness and commitment to self.
Practicing self-care typically involves the following:
• Choosing to live a healthier lifestyle
• Avoiding unhealthy habits like smoking and excessive drinking
• Using medication responsibly
• Actively seeking medical help when needed
• Proactively managing symptoms of disease or any condition
Pay attention to the list closely. They look simple enough, yes? But chances are, you’ve neglected one or more of the items on the list. That’s why self-care is important, it’s the art of loving yourself — and loving yourself right.
THE JOURNEY VS THE FINISH LINE
The logic is simple: until you understand how to love yourself properly, how can you properly love others, too? Remember, you can’t give what you don’t have.
Though some think that self-care equates to selfishness, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Paying attention to your needs first will put you in a better position to respond to others in love because you’ll be pulling from a place that’s filled with positive energy.
Through self-care, you can develop a healthy relationship with yourself in the best way possible that will allow you to have a good sense of inner contentment and peace. As a result, others will also benefit as your positivity naturally overflows.
But that’s not all. Another important reason why you need self-care is that it will impact your quality of life. In this modern time, we live in, you most likely wake up just before the sun rises and work until it sets. You spend your time investing long hours in your career and give it your best shot to provide for your family’s needs and achieve your dreams. For many, this productivity can seem like the driver of life — a purposeful goal to aim for.
And the thing is, there’s nothing wrong with that. Aiming high and working hard is perfectly valid. However, there’s no escaping the truth: it’s not about how fast you get to the finish line, it’s about how well you are when you get there.
Even if you achieve your goals and earn plenty of money, a big paycheck can’t cure the lingering feeling of brokenness and fatigue; emotional slump and emptiness. You may get what you want, but at what cost?
Tiredness that no amount of sleep can cure?
Feelings of unexplained irritability to everyone and everything around you?
Going through the motions of daily life feeling detached — like you’re operating on autopilot?
See, performing at work and being there for others will drain some amount of energy naturally because you’re pouring a part of yourself during these activities. This means when you don’t set a time for yourself to heal and recharge, you’re setting yourself up to get burnt out.
This will affect your quality of life and sometimes, may even affect your professional productivity and relationships because your body and soul are not okay. Self-care, in every sense of the word, is about taking care of yourself so you can get much-needed relief from the pressures of life and give your body and soul a chance to recharge. As a result, you’ll end up with boosted productivity and a healthier mindset.
When you’re in good condition to live life to the full, reaching the finish line will be so much sweeter and worth it because you didn’t lose yourself in the process.
THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF SELF LOVE
There’s more self-care than meets the eye. It’s not just about soaking in a warm bath or getting a massage. Self-care is a practice that yields benefits that penetrate deep within your body and soul. Whether it’s for social skills or emotional needs, self-care can help you develop a healthier relationship with your inner self.
There are seven forms of self-care that you can explore to boost your wellbeing:
1. Physical
Taking care of your body is the prerequisite of all forms of self-care. This is foundational
and essential because this deals with the most basic forms of your daily human needs like
eating well and maintaining proper hygiene. Working your way through the other forms of self-
care will be easier when your body is already taken care of.
When your body is not okay, it ripples through the rest of your being. Hunger, for example, can get in the way of your cognitive process, so you end up less focused and agitated. You’re essentially working your way to the finish line without your body working optimally.
You need a healthy body to be productive and ready for anything that life throws at you.
2. Intellectual
Your brain needs to be refreshed, too.
In a world where work or social information floods you every day, enjoying some time reading a nice book may be just what you need. Intellectual self-care is about giving your mind new
information that can help promote cognitive growth and help provide a break from the typical
information you get at work or online. Best of all, it makes you look forward to a new facet of
growth and keep your mind sharp regularly.
This can be by listening to a podcast, immersing yourself in a new world through a book, or
even trying your hand at a new recipe! As long as you provide your brain with a refreshing break
away from emails and news feeds, and offer meaningful intellectual stimulation through various activities, you’ll be doing your brain a favor.
3. Professional
Work-life balance is more than just a fancy phrase. It’s an important form of self-care that you
mustn’t compromise no matter how challenging it gets. There’s always gonna that one job that
seems to not only suck the life out of you during work hours but also even interrupts your peace after hours.
This is where setting boundaries and communicating them well is essential. Keeping work within 9 hours of your day will help prevent burnout from happening. Professional self-care is about
making work more efficient, effective, but also pleasurable if possible. You can do this by
organizing your day ahead of time and setting separate schedules for work tasks and personal
appointments.
Determine which tasks are non-negotiable for today and then set boundaries on those that can
be accomplished tomorrow. The key is clearly delineating between work and life, and leaving
your work entirely within the confines of your workstation and hours. To some extent, you will
probably need to learn to say “no” every once in a while to maintain your peace after work
hours. But this is a necessary step that can be done with proper communication.
If you’re the workaholic type, then this form of self-care might be particularly challenging for you. Being mindful of the time can be tricky especially when you’re really immersed in what you’re doing. So, to help you commit to true work-life balance, make it a point to set a reminder in your calendar for every entry you have for the day. If you need something that offers more reminder features, then digital planners like TimeBloc will be perfect for you. You’ll receive prompts every morning telling you to set your schedule daily or you can use the alarm feature that can be set to repeat on specific days so you’re always on track with your schedule.
4. Financial
Money problems are one of the causes of anxiety and depression. Whenever people experience
financial difficulties, it triggers a series of emotional and mental stresses that can lead to a
The constant stream of negative thoughts and worry.
Good self-care means also being a good steward of your finances to prepare for your future and
your peace of mind. The thing with financial self-care is it provides a concrete form of
security when it’s done right. When your finances are well-taken care of, money is one less (and
powerful) thing to worry about. So, as much as possible, track how much money you’re making
and where it’s going. The peace that comes with financial stability cannot be emphasized
enough, especially in an uncertain world.
To help you be more financially responsible, consider meeting with financial advisors, listening
to money podcasts, or reading a book. This approach will help you hit two birds with one stone
as this will also stimulate your intellectual learning and growth.
If you’re experiencing debt, then you might be thinking that financial self-care doesn’t apply to
you. But that’s the thing, it’s actually important regardless of your financial status. Though it’s
not going to change your reality (it’s not supposed to), it’s meant to help you adjust your
approach when it comes to money. Its goal is to help you become more aware of your financial
situation so you would know what to do to manage it better.
5. Social
Social connections are great for your mental wellbeing because it fosters feelings of
belongingness, love, and acceptance. However, too much of it can sometimes be draining, too,
especially if you’re left without time for yourself in the end.
This is another example where good boundaries can help balance your interactions, so you
have the right dose of social connections without compromising valuable time to focus on
yourself. You don’t have to say “yes” to every social engagement, especially if you don’t feel
okay about going in the first place. Politely declining is okay, too.
As you prioritize yourself, it’s important to keep in mind that this principle goes both ways. Social
self-care is also about making sure you get the proper dose of socialization you need to thrive
relationally. Isolation is never healthy when it’s done excessively.
6. Environmental
Take a moment to observe your environment. What does your workstation look like? Does your room have enough sunlight? Is there clutter everywhere in your bedroom?
Environmental self-care is essentially about being aware of your surroundings and being more grounded in your space — this includes cleaning and tidying up to make it feel homier. Messy environments can get in the way of an optimal cognitive process because they can make the brain also feel cluttered compared to a clean and organized space.
Apart from cleaning and organizing, you can also opt to put photos of your family, a succulent plant, or even motivational messages to yourself around your desk. The overall improvement in space can help you breathe easier, especially whenever you experience stressful situations.
7. Emotional
When was the last time you did something that brought you great joy or made you laugh?
Emotional self-care is about being intentional in doing the things that bring your emotional fulfillment. In other words, it’s about taking care of your emotional needs by paying attention to what you’re feeling and addressing these emotions without judgment. When your emotional needs are unmet, it results in feeling burnt out or frustrated. You wonder why you did what you did in the first place when you’ll end up feeling empty in the end.
The thing is, emotional self-care typically goes hand-in-hand with other forms of self-care since every activity that you do will have emotional implications.
One good form of emotional self-care is living life with gratitude. It is through this lens that you can focus your thoughts and emotions on the things that you really value and foster a more positive outlook in life.
COMMON WAYS YOU CAN SHOW YOURSELF SOME LOVE
7. Exercise daily
Whether you’re into fitness or not, there’s no escaping the truth that exercise is fundamental to your wellbeing. You see, your body is connected to your mind and emotions, and daily exercise helps regulate mood and energy through the production of feel-good hormones like serotonin and endorphins.
Before you get all worked up about the thought of exercising, it’s worth mentioning that any form of exercise will do. The key here isn’t intensity but consistency. Even an hour-long brisk walk can already work wonders for your self-care.
To make the experience more enjoyable for you, opt for an activity or sport that you love. This can be swimming or jogging or maybe even basketball. Enjoy one round of it every day and you’ll be activating those happy hormones in no time.
7. Sleep Well
The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep for adults every day. Anything less is already considered a lack of sleep.
So many people sacrifice sleep to increase productivity or social activities. But the thing is, sleep is one of the most important things about our health that we must not compromise on. Your slumber period is the time that your mind can organize its thoughts and recover from the day’s load of information. Think of it as the chance for your brain to heal itself.
So, when you sleep less than the recommended hours, your physical and mental health suffers. Not only does it affect your productivity through concentration problems but also through serious mood disorders.
To establish good sleeping habits, you can do the following:
- Set a bedtime and wake-up time that will give you the right amount of sleep you need. You must make it a point to sleep and wake up at the same hour every day to build a routine.
- Stay away from devices that emit blue light such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets. These can hinder the production of melatonin which is responsible for making you feel drowsy.
- Establish a bedtime routine that can help you get in the ‘sleep mood’ an hour before your bedtime. This can be by soaking in a warm bath, reading a book, or listening to a podcast.
3. Eat healthily
What you eat affects your body, so it makes sense that you eat mindfully.
Mindful eating is one of the best forms of self-care because it promotes a healthy relationship with food while teaching you to develop the awareness you need to select healthy options that will provide the sustenance that your body needs.
Though there may be a preconceived notion that healthy diets equate to tasteless and bland meals, that’s actually not true. You can enjoy a nice juicy burger or chocolate dessert even while eating mindfully!
You can check out delicious recipes that are great for your mood and health here.
4. Prioritize the things you value the most
As we said earlier, life can be pretty hectic and overwhelming. This means you probably have a lot on your plate and having to juggle this can distract you from doing things or spending time with people who matter the most. Although this can be challenging to do at first, sorting through your priorities will help you allocate your energy, attention, and time toward the things that have the most value to you.
Here are some examples of questions you can ponder:
- Who/what do you want to spend the most time with?
- What are the things that bring you joy?
- How would you like to be remembered?
5. Embrace an attitude of gratitude
It’s not uncommon to fall into a negative mindset trap, especially when life hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park for you. The sad thing about this is, it’s not just bad for your mental health but it also makes you miss out on the good things that are actually worth celebrating. Practicing gratitude helps shift your perspective to see the beauty around you and make you happier.
When you lose a loved one, you might focus your emotions on grief as you process the loss. While this is okay, a gratitude mindset will remind you of the wonderful memories that you shared and how blessed you are to have shared life with them -- no matter how fleeting.
Gratitude teaches you to cherish the amazing things that you experienced in life and use them as fuel to go through every day with an appreciation for the gifts that life brings you. By adopting an attitude of gratitude, you put yourself in the position to take care of your wellbeing in one of the best ways possible.
YOU DESERVE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF
If you’ve put self-care on the backburner, it’s time to take it out and put it front and center. Think about it: you work so hard to reach your dreams and help others, you will need to be refreshed daily to truly sustain all that.
Whether it’s for your mental health or your physical wellbeing, prioritizing your self-care is never something to be guilty about. You absolutely need and deserve it.
