Week Seven: The Importance of Self-Care
Caring for ourselves is an important part of making sure we are able to care for others in the best way possible. Let’s dive into self-care and discover how you can incorporate positive practice into your life.
So what is self-care? Simply put, self-care is anything that makes us feel nourished- a set of activities we do to ensure our emotional and physical wellness. When we take care of ourselves, we are healthy, well and able to cope with stressors in a more positive way, allowing us to care for others with empathy and compassion.
When discovering what self-care is, it is also important to know what self-care is not. Often people confuse self-care with self-indulgence or selfishness, but that is not the case. Practicing regular self-care helps us to be our best selves so we can give more to others. The most important relationship you have is with yourself and if that relationship isn’t right it can negatively impact other areas of your life. Practicing regular self-care helps to strengthen that relationship and in turn, our relationships and interactions with others.
Self-care is also not numbing. It is important to choose activities that make you feel good long-term and avoid activities that may only have very short-term benefits. For example, indulging in sweets may make you feel good in the moment, but it isn’t going to benefit you long term whereas choosing a bowl of fruit will. Similarly, binge-watching television all afternoon may feel good in the moment, but throwing a yoga mat on the floor and exercising while you watch may make you feel even better long term.
There are different types of self-care and it is important to find activities within each area as they all contribute to overall wellbeing. The first of which is Emotional Self-Care, which involves activities that improve your mental and emotional health like positive self-talk, setting healthy boundaries, coffee with a friend, family game nights, or pausing throughout the day to refocus on the breath.
Physical Self-Care involves activities that help you stay physically healthy, like eating right, sleeping well, exercising, caring for your skin, using sick days, or seeking preventative health care.
Spiritual Self-Care is often missed but is equally as important. This might be writing in a journal, spending time in nature, attending a religious service, practicing meditation or gratitude.
So how do I start a self-care routine?
Starting a self-care routine is easier than it sounds, check out the steps below and take some time to reflect on how self-care would work for you.
1.Take some time to reflect on what brings you joy, energy and balance in life. This might be spending time with loved ones, spending time pampering yourself or getting more sleep.
2. Once you have determined what you need, try writing down a few activities that will help you achieve joy, energy and balance. For example, if sleep is important you might try establishing a bedtime routine, waking up at the same time every day or meditating before bed.
3. Reflect on your choices and pick one that seems most realistic for your life. For example, if you have a constantly changing work schedule, waking up at the same time every day may not work, but meditating before bed is doable and can help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
4. Once you know what will work for you, try integrating that practice into your routine every day for one week.
5. After one week, take some time to reflect on how your practice affected you and determine whether you should continue, try something else or maybe add to your routine.
It is important to know that self-care doesn’t have to be expensive. Sure, taking yourself to the salon once a month for a manicure and pedicure or on a weekend trip may be effective, but so is taking time to focus on your breath every morning or practicing gratitude each day. Achieving the best self-care routine is about discovering what works best for you and sticking to it. Next week we will talk more about physical self-care by discussing important aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. In the meantime, use the worksheet provided to work through discovering a self-care routine and share your experience in the group chat!
