What Is Self-Care Importance, Anyway?
The minute we hear this question, most of us immediately start thinking about what to say. Don’t worry if you are in the same boat! You are no different from most people out there. It is because of the fast-paced nature of our lifestyles that we barely think about ourselves and our self-care routine anymore.
However, let’s take a pause here and re-think this for a moment to see if it is correct or not?
- Is it alright to neglect ourselves?
- What if we don’t even know whether whatever we are doing is keeping us happy or not and still we’re just doing it for the sake of doing it?
- Do we even know what our priorities are?
- Do we even know what keeps us happy?
Every day, one must ask oneself all these questions. Whenever you start this practice of asking yourself, “Will what I am going to do give me happiness or not?” It will be your first step toward self-care.
Moving further, we must know that caring for ourselves is closely related to our mental well-being.
The Intriguing Psychology Behind Mental Well-Being
According to studies, those who are more psychologically well are more generally able to be healthier and live longer.
Self-care is likely to contribute to keeping our minds healthy. When we are mentally healthy, we will gain inner peace and stay away from bad habits.
As it is once said by Dalai Lama “Peace of mind is the basis of a healthy body and a healthy mind; so peace of mind, a calm mind, is very, very important.”
So, we must ensure that our minds and thoughts are healthy.
The word self-care just conveys the message “You need care.” Therefore, it is of course essential. It is important because if we will start caring for ourselves, we will be able to create a healthier and more better world.
And one must teach the practice of “Self-Care” to the new generation too.
What Prevents you from doing Self-Care?
You need to take a deep dive into your brain, your routine, and your tasks at your workplace. This will assist you in finding out the loopholes that are keeping you distracted from mental, physical, and emotional self-care.
We frequently believe that whatever we do as part of our daily routine is only essential to us, so why don’t we take better care of ourselves? Even I sometimes had this thought, though I have admittedly neglected it a few times. However, neglecting your thoughts is like ignoring your opportunities to be happy.
Therefore, ask yourself:
- Are not you worthy of happiness?
- Don’t you deserve to live a life full of optimism, good vibes, and with the people you love the most?
In order to get the desired mental ability, physical well-being, and spiritual health, we must first pinpoint the reasons why we are being side-tracked from accomplishing our goal.
It can be:
- Our daily routine or our hectic lifestyle.
- Our personal relationship issues.
- Family issues.
- Hormonal changes.
- Financial crises.
- Issues at the workplace.
- Not getting enough sleep.
- Not able to sleep because of stress.
- Unhealthy eating habits.
- Physical abuse (at home or workplace)
- Mental abuse (at home or workplace)
- Alcohol or drug intake.
Once a person is able to find out the cause, then he/she can work on eliminating that stress-causing factor from his/her life. Fewer troubles in his or her life will be reduced as a result of this strategy. A person will also experience less stress and be able to focus more on maintaining a higher quality of life.
The Ultimate Guide to Self-Care Types
This guide will demonstrate what considerations should be made when practicing self-care.
One needs to focus on the following practices of self-care:
1. Emotional Self-Care Practice
Taking care of oneself increases one’s long-term mental and physical health. Therefore, the term “emotional self-care” relates to the notion that one should set aside time for themselves. By carrying on with the things they find fun and like doing. The activities may include:
- Spending quality time with your beloved ones,
- Watching your favorite shows,
- Cooking for your family new recipes,
- Having a hot water bath or spending time under a shower etcetera,
- Getting enough nighttime sleep.
These practices will enhance your inner peace to a different level.
2. Physical Self-Care Practice
A list of everyday actions that promote physical well-being while not interfering with routine or joy can be referred to as physical self-care. To accomplish this form of physical care for oneself, one might follow several guidelines, such as:
- Morning exercises,
- Not skipping breakfast,
- Taking short breaks while working,
- Consuming a well-balanced diet,
- Avoiding processed food,
- Saying no to alcohol-based products,
- Wearing your desirable clothes.
3. Spiritual Self-Care Practice
The major focus of this kind of practice is your inner spirit. To use this strategy, one must continue to engage in their interests on a daily or periodic basis. In order to take care of your inner self, you might:
- Engage in charitable activities,
- Worshiping your God,
- Going to religious places,
- Going to peaceful places like hills to experience nature,
- Helping others financially, and mentally.
The Joy, Comfort, and Stress-Reducing Power of Self-Care Importance
Sometimes taking care of ourselves leads us to a higher degree of comfort, joy, and a less stressful world, which is what we usually seek.
Self-care demonstrates our love for ourselves and life. Additionally, we must never forget how our precious life is and that we should make the most of it.
It’s important to remember that if we can create a happy, vibrant self, that positive energy will influence our surroundings as well. People around us will become more upbeat as a result, and the world will eventually become the happiest place. But in order to get happiness, we only need to make a small step, which may be any of the following:
- Starting a day with a good thought,
- Doing morning exercise,
- Meditate or yoga,
- Taking shower or hot water bath (In the morning or at night whenever preferable)
- Cooking our favorite breakfast,
- Never skipping a breakfast routine, followed by lunch and then dinner,
- Every meal should be full of nutrients,
- Consuming fruits and nuts in between gaps of meals,
- Taking breaks in between working hours,
- Enough amount of night-time sleep (7-8 hours varies from person to person.)
“Selfcare & Selfish” have a Thin Line Gap Between Them
At any point in life, if you get surrounded by the thoughts that “I am thinking about myself, it indicates I am being selfish.”
Always remember that there is a thin line difference between being selfish and loving yourself. Yes, it’s true. Now. The question arises “How is that true?”
Let’s take into account a scenario where a person is employed and has five family members—grandparents, a mother, a father, and a child—to care for in addition to their regular job schedule.
1. If this person is a woman, what would be her daily routine?
If we start focusing on her routine from morning to evening. But hold on, it’s not only from morning (when the sun rises) until dusk (when the sun sets) indeed. It is from the morning when she has to start taking charge of her family.
After waking up, she has to finish her household chores and has to reach the office. Isn’t it only one easy line to describe her daily activities?
- Initially, as soon as she wake-ups before her family do.
- Take a shower.
- Cook breakfast for her whole family, and pack tiffins for the children.
- Wake her child up.
- Look after her child, get him/her shower.
- Eating breakfast with the family.
- Help her child get ready for school.
- Check if his/her things are in their places, and school dress is ironed properly. The school bag is having everything he/she needs according to the day’s schedule.
- Once the child has gone to school.
- She still has work to do at home like doing dishes and cleaning the house.
- Then going to the office.
When she comes back from the office, she still has to do a lot.
She must once more carry out her household duties, which include cooking for her family and finishing up outstanding tasks. Assisting her child with their homework. Sometimes, the never-ending to-do list leaves that individual with little time to reflect on herself.
2. If this person is a man, what would be his daily routine?
Nowadays, everyone is busy, including men. They support their counterparts in all tasks done at home or away from the home while they are living in nuclear families. They help their wives with domestic duties and with organizing their kids’ schedules.
They efficiently manage tasks including on-time payment of utility bills for housing, power, and water. In addition, they make sure to pick up any necessities they might be missing when at the market or mall if they don’t have them at home.
Additionally, they work between 8 and 9 hours approximately every day. Due to this sort of hectic schedule even they are not able to get some spare time for themselves.
Life has grown stressful these days, for every type of person. In order to care for ourselves, taking a break every so often is actually vital. Therefore, I believe that this adequately explains how being selfish differs from taking care of ourselves.
Therefore, one needs to set aside a certain amount of time to pamper themselves. People must spend time, taking care of their interests, and doing what their heart says.
Since every individual on this planet is unique, so are their desires. Similarly, their way of enjoying life and desires vary.
Some like to pamper themselves by,
- Getting a massage (Head or body) by going to salons or spas,
- Sleeping for a long time,
- Watching their favorite shows, movies on Television,
- Playing fun activities with their children/family,
- Dining out with family/friends or someone closer to their heart,
- Spending nights under the stars,
- Traveling to peaceful places (hills are mostly preferred),
- Listening to a favorite piece of music loudly and forgetting the world,
- Going for live concerts,
- Sitting for a long time in peaceful places and enjoying nature,
- Dancing,
- Exercising,
- Meditating,
- Cooking,
- Watching late-night shows with partners,
- Spending a few days out with your partner,
- Visiting religious place.
When it’s about making yourself happing, believe me, everything counts. It will be a wise option to choose anything as long as it does not harm anyone.
We frequently hear, “If we do that, what will they think?” But the real question is: Are you certain they are even thinking about you, or are you just making an assumption out of anxiety?
However, if you are only moving in the direction of your own comfort or happiness and no one else is suffering as a result of your actions. Why not just concentrate on yourself, then?
Starting Conversations with Your Kids About Self-Care Importance
Due to busy job schedules, social media, and other obligations relating to family and friends, our lives are already becoming even busier and more chaotic.
Sometimes, it can be difficult for us to spend time with our children. As a result, it’s crucial to impart to kids the knowledge of how and why to care for themselves. In order to do that parents must
1. Teach them about the way of taking care of mental well-being:
Kids are like a whiteboard with nothing written on it. Simply by observing and imitating their parents, children can pick up new skills. Children may pick up lessons in this way that their parents never expected them to learn! Children are acute observers of everything.
Therefore, we can benefit from this. Not sure how?
Let me explain:
There are very high chances that your children may imitate the way you behave if you express your emotions with confidence and calmness and take care of your mental health. If they see you handling challenging situations confidently and without becoming anxious, they will try and copy that in their own lives.
In this way, they can practice making a healthy mind, and eventually, it is a part of taking care of emotional health.
2. The methods they can use to look after their physical health:
Parents can encourage their kids to engage in physical activity in the following ways:
- In their early years, parents might take their children on walks. They will develop a habit as a result, aiding in the maintenance of good physical health.
- Bring them things that will improve their health, such as sports equipment they may use outside, such as soccer balls, footballs, tennis rackets, etc.
- Sit outside in the gardens or on the lawns and instruct them in meditation. They can improve their mental and physical wellness while also getting some fresh air.
- Teach them about the pleasure they will experience when playing games outside and going out.
- The pleasure of learning about new hobbies from their pals, but of course also teach them how to opt for good ones only.
3. Parents can teach them to focus on positive life events while dismissing negative ones:
This can be done while watching them perform any task that has been assigned to them. People might begin by giving their children simple tasks.
In this way, caregivers can make their young ones learn how to remain composed in challenging circumstances. And also, how to be kind to themselves even when things are horrible. Eventually, they will learn the techniques of self-care.
What do Millennials Think About Self-care?
Numerous studies have found that millennials are much better than individuals from earlier generations. They are following the best ways when it comes to self-care. It’s normal for members of generation Y to achieve their goals of happiness.
Alongside performing their duties at their home and workplace. They are also concerned about their well-being.
They still make time for their mental, physical, and emotional well-being while keeping track of their to-do list. Regardless of the specifics,
- Exercises,
- Going to the gym,
- Running or walking,
- Doing yoga or meditation,
- Visiting the salon to pamper their skin,
- Going to religious places,
- Enjoying with friends on weekends etcetera.
Additionally, research has demonstrated that if millennials ever feel emotionally stuck. They would have no problem asking a doctor, their family, or friends for assistance.
Lifestyles today are much busier than they were in the past. Every person desires to be able to buy every luxury for themselves due to the development in every industry. They have to put in a lot of effort to acquire those goods. And putting in a lot of effort and keeping occupied all day long can put someone in a stressful scenario. However, millennials do place a high value on their self-care practices.
They never hesitate to visit a doctor in the need of an hour or tell a close friend or family member about their problem.
If you are considering life a burden, then this is a sign for you to do a good self-care routine. It’s never too late to start a new habit, make it a habit. It will definitely lead you towards a healthy lifestyle.