It’s Always the Perfect Time for Self-Care
What is self-care?
Self-care is the act of refueling, renewing, and nurturing ourselves and attending to our needs. Self-care refers to regular practices that one engages in to reduce stress and promotes balanced, healthy lives. Self-care is a necessity in order to honor the commitments in our professional and personal lives.
For many women, the thought of doing something exclusively for their own pleasure may leave them with feelings of guilt and shame. In a society that values self-reliance and putting others first, it can be difficult to justify taking the time to nurture themselves. There are several benefits to making self-care a regular part of your life: lessens emotional reactivity, improves relationship skills, increases well-being, increases optimism and hope, better physical health management, improves mood, improves quality of life, decreases stress levels, and increases ability to maintain a work-life balance. Self-care is critical to our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. Self-care looks different for each of us, however, there are some key elements that are a must: adequate sleep, proper hydration, healthy nutrition, exercise, balanced emotional and spiritual health.
Most clinicians would agree that adults need between 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. For many people this seems impossible since self-care is often viewed as a luxury. Keep in mind that getting enough shut-eye will allow you to be more productive and more enjoyable to be around!
Being properly hydrated and eating balanced, nutritious meals keep our bodies at optimal health. According to the CDC, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalence combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.
Emotional and spiritual health are key in stress management. Balance in these areas can prevent health problems such as insomnia, heart disease, hypertension, anxiety and even depression. Meditation, connecting with loved ones and/or community, journaling, or attending religious services can help keep our mental and spiritual lives balanced. Seeking guidance from therapists, life coaches, mentors, or clergy have been proven to be effective during challenging times.
Many of us spend most of our time caring for others but I think most people can admit that self-care is not usually at the top of our priority list. Ultimately, self-care is all about you and should be uniquely individualized for each person. Self-care is something that should be practiced often and incorporated into our daily lives. Schedule short breaks in the day to have some tea, eat a nutritious lunch, meditate, or take a quick walk. Be sure to set aside weekly time for yourself for things like massages, bubble baths, having fun with family/friends, going hiking, or any activity that brings you joy! Be sure to plan and take a vacation when needed! We all deserve some time to unplug from our daily lives. The more time we give ourselves to ensure we are cared for, the more productive and effective we are in all areas of our lives.
It’s always the perfect time for a little self-care!
