Our life has become so busy that we have stopped focusing on ourselves. We don’t take out time to take care of our mental health. Self-care has become an important topic these days, but it is not explained properly. Many of us don’t have the clear sense of adding self-care into our lives. It might seem vague, but everyone should practice it regularly, as it allows us to recognize and protect our individual needs. This will help you to understand and maintain a healthy relationship with yourself. Self-care gives you the basic understanding of how you can increase your self-confidence and your self-esteem.
# Few ways we can practice self-care,
In self-care first comes the body, which will remain with you forever. Your body is like your life partner and you should take good care of it. Feeding your body the right thing and at the right time is utmost important. Many of us struggle with prioritizing self-care practices, fret not dearies, there are dozens of ideas that can help you in taking care of yourself.
# What is self-care?
Self-care is “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health”. In a nutshell, you just need to be kind and integrate self-compassion into your life. Self-care is when you deliberately take care of your emotional, mental and physical health. It is a learning that will help you reduce stress and tensions of daily life, which will consequently make you feel good about yourself. if you practice self-care for a long time, it will be beneficial for your mind, body and soul. Note: not everything that makes you feel good is self-care.
Why do we fail in understanding self-care?
Most of us are really busy in our lives in stressful jobs, in chasing the deadlines or busy in our favorite social media. We don’t give ourselves a ‘Me-time’. Practicing self-care was never easy. Many people feel that taking out sometime for themselves is a waste of time. There are many people who count self-care as a luxury, but not a priority. And fail to understand the importance of self-care.
Types of self-care
As hinted above, self-care is an essential part.
Here are five main categories of self-care, which will make you think about the activities you will particularly like
1.Sleep
Make sleep an important part of your self-care routine. Sleeping properly has a great effect on how you feel emotionally and physically. Not getting enough sleep can cause many health issues. If you want to sleep on time and make it a habit of going to bed on time, firstly stay away from caffeine which tends to keep you awake, reduce work related stress, think about the good things that calm you. Free yourself from the distractions like television, cellphone, laptop. Take minimum 8 hours sleep.
2. Breathing
Woman breathing fresh air relaxed on vacation
Practicing different rhythmic breathing exercises will give you lot of benefits. It can help you reduce stress, improve your mood, helps regulating your heartbeat, also improves overall mental and physical health. Try meditation for 15-60 minutes to cleanse your body and mind.
3. Journal
You must start writing your thoughts on a paper. It will give you a great amount of joy and will also you help by making you feel lighter. When ever you are overwhelmed, try writing a journal. Writing journals is a great opportunity for you to express your feelings, you must try taking out every bit of emotion you are experiencing when you start writing a journal. You will end up making yourself calmer. It also helps to maintain a log of your mood patterns and your fluctuating emotions.
4. Emotional well-being
Many of us think self-care only means taking care of our body. So, we start focusing on physical well-being like skincare, exercising or focusing on what we eat. But we need to pay attention on both physical and emotional well-being. You must get engaged with your emotions and face them heads-on. Let yourself cry when you need to. This will help you reduce stress and will give you more strength. Always encourage yourself to laugh during tough times. Talk to your friends and family and maintain your journal where you take out your emotions by writing. It is important to have a good coping skill to deal with all the negativities around you.
5. Social Self-care
Put some time in building relationships, as close connections are important to your well-being. You just need to put time and little amount of energy in building your relationship with others. You just need to figure out your social needs. Create an optimal social life. it helps you to understand that you are not alone, also helps you combat loneliness.
6. Mental self-care
Attractive woman seeking enlightenment through meditation
This means doing things that keep your mind sharp and active. You can start learning new things, read books that fascinate you or watch movies that really inspires you. Practice self-compassion and proactive things to stay mentally healthy.
7. Be kind to yourself
Basic meaning of self-care is treating yourself with love and care. DO the things you love to do, re-prioritize your happiness again. Make the most of this beautiful life as we get only one chance to live it.
