Importance of Self-Care

June 27, 2022 

According to EverydayHealth, per Google Trends, “the number of searches for ‘self-care’ has more than doubled since 2015.” Self-care is the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without support of a healthcare provider. It is not selfish. It’s being able to take care of yourself so you can be healthy, can do your job, and be able to help and care for others. Also, it is the answer to cope with everyday stressors, from work, to trying to keep up with the pace of daily life.

Technology nowadays has made this worse, but luckily there are a variety of ways to take care of not only your physical health but your emotional health as well. The best way to produce the best outcome when it comes to practicing self-care, is to practice regularly. The more you practice, the better your physical, mental, and emotional health will be. It fosters resilience, living longer and the ability to manage stress. Though the benefits may be universal, the way individuals practice varies. Not every practice fit all, meaning that there will be practices that work better for others. Some practices include:

~ Be kind to yourself                               ~ Take dedicated breaks from electronics
~ Meditate                                               ~ Practice mindfulness
~ Get enough sleep                                ~ Live in the present moment
~ Spend more time in nature                  ~ Eat Healthier
~ Start a gratitude journal                       ~ Exercise

When it comes to self-care there are three different types: emotional self-care, physical self-care, and spiritual self-care. Emotional self-care focuses on self-talk, and the internal practices like taking a pause to live in the moment. For physical self-care that focuses on the physical body. Some examples would be, prioritizing sleep, creating an exercise routine, and eating healthier. Lastly, spiritual self-care focuses on the mental aspect. Meditation, spending time in nature, and journaling are a few examples.

As you begin your practice, you would need to understand the effects. Depending on the practice it may be temporary or enduring. Temporary is short lived. Going on a coffee date with a friend can only give a short-lived result. On the other hand, enduring has a permanent effect, like practicing mindfulness every day.

Now it is time for you to build your own self-care routine.

  1. Determine what brings you joy
  2. Start small and choose one practice to start with for the next week
  3. Build up to practicing every day for one week
  4. Reflect on how you feel
  5. Add additional practices when you are ready
  6. Get support by sharing your practices with others

Self-care doesn’t have to cost anything. You just must start and keep going.