Self-care is essential for our health. Adequate self-care is required to be the best version of yourself. It is a practice that you enjoy doing.
What is Self-care?
Nourishing yourself is self-care. It may be physical, mental, and emotional. You must take care of your mind and body if you want it to run efficiently. You need to know how much physical activity you are doing.
Similarly, the way you think greatly affects your psychological well-being. Mental self-care helps you to stay mentally healthy. Emotional self-care includes coping skills to deal with uncomfortable feelings. It helps you acknowledge and express your feelings regularly.
Self-care can be taken in different forms. Here are few things which you can practice:
- Learn a new hobby
- Exercise
- Cooking/baking for yourself
- Express your feelings to the friends/family members
- Taking a walk/stroll outside
Here is 5 step approach towards self-care routine:
Understand your needs first
Self-care is pampering yourself. It is about meeting your needs. Before you start any activities, think about – what needs are to be met? What do I need right now?
This will help you to understand your basic needs. Instead of practicing a random self-care routine, you can exactly know what your need is and fulfill it straight away.
Create a schedule
The common reason for not involving yourself in self-care is lack of time. People who are struggling to engage in self-care often say “I don’t have time”. The remedy is to make time.
You know your daily schedule. Find a gap in that and add self-time and stick to it. If you find even a 10 min gap, utilize that for taking care of yourself by relaxing or taking deep breaths.
Prioritize
Whatever we do with our time is a choice. Usually, our priorities are not aligned with what we actually need. You have to fit self-care into your schedule on priority even though you are busy. Be it time for exercise/meditation, saying no to certain commitments, or your hobby time, you can fit these into your weekly routine if you prioritize.
Set the boundaries
You have to set boundaries about what you are and what you are not willing to do. Take a break from the busy schedule. Take some time off. This will rejuvenate you. The world will be the same when you return. You will be in a better position to deal with the challenges of the world.
Evaluate and practice regularly
Self-care is beneficial when you practice it regularly. Engage yourself in some kind of activity every day for at least 10minutes. This will be more helpful for you than the one that takes two hours once a month.
Evaluate the positive benefits that you gain through self-care. Reflect on your actions. If those have a positive impact on your health, then continue doing so.
Finally, self-care is not selfish. It is not a luxury as well. It is vital for your mental and physical well-being. Check out the Joyscore App to learn more.
