WHAT IS SELF-CARE?

By C.L. Martin

If you are anything like me then self-care is never a priority. Between getting kids to activities, caring for my family, and making sure the people in my life have what they need I always seem to put my own needs on the back burner. The social stigma around self-care being selfish certainly hasn’t helped!

Last month I ended up having to take an emergency trip to be with my mom for a short time and that is when I finally started to realize.

'If I don’t start taking care of myself then there is no way I am going to continue to be able to be there when people I love need me.'

So began my journey into self-care.

WHAT IS SELF-CARE?

The WHO (World Health Organization) defines self-care as the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider.

The International Self-Care Foundation emphasizes that self-care could instead be broken down into seven pillars and those defined individually. Health Literacy, mental well-being, physical activity, healthy eating, risk avoidance, good hygiene, and rational and responsible use of products, services, diagnostics, and medicines.

While I find parts of these definitions to be accurate, for me, they are very clinical. I feel that self-care can be simplified to anything you do to keep your mental, physical and emotional health balanced and optimal for you. Across various articles and other blogs, the general consensus is that self-care is unique to each person. What one person considers self-care (cleaning for example) others may view as a chore (me, I’m others!).

In the end, each individual has to decide for themselves what self-care means, what it involves, and how to allow it to impact their health. For example, my mental health requires a lot more care than my physical health. A majority of my self-care is centered around maintaining a peaceful, healthy mental state.

DOES SELF-CARE ACTUALLY MAKE AN IMPACT ON MY HEALTH?

The short answer is yes!

Maintaining a consistent self-care routine that involves activities pertaining to mental, physical, and emotional health has many benefits. Reduced stress improved immune system, increased productivity, and even higher self-esteem are just a few positive side effects.

Some find physical activity to be a potent form of self-care. Exercise can increase heart and respiratory health, help maintain a healthy weight, and releases chemicals into the brain that help balance mood and mental health.

Since taking the time to assess the areas in my life where self-care needs to be more prominent, I find that many of my health struggles and mental hurdles will be less exhausting if I truly start making time for myself in my schedule.

My weight and self-esteem struggles will become less over time with a better diet and exercise. My stress levels and anxiety will be far less if I take regular mental breaks and do activities that I find soothing (reading, or painting). My emotional health will benefit from doing activities with my family that we all enjoy more often than activities on my own.

HOW I AM STARTING A ROUTINE!

While I know that self-care helps overall, implementing new self-care routines can seem overwhelming. Even just knowing where to start can be confusing. Because self-care is so subjective there is not a one size fits all formula to setting up a self-care routine. Each individual has to determine where balance is necessary and move forward with steps that help introduce new activities in a sustainable way.

The first thing I have done is to decide which activities I already do that could be considered self-care. Things like reading, writing, walks with my children, home spa days, and meditation are all activities that I enjoy. They all benefit one or even multiple areas of my health in a positive way even if I hadn't considered that they were all forms of self-care.

The next step I took was to pick a few new small behaviors that I would like to add to my routine. Because I am trying to make more of an effort to add activities that will benefit my physical health, I decided to start eating more fruits and veggies vs. eating empty carbs when I am hungry. I stopped buying crunchy favorites (chips) and instead only put things in my house that are healthier.

I have not eliminated the favorite treats from my diet but by leaving them out of the house it is easier to make those healthier choices at snack times. If I make a stop at a gas station or am at the store, I may grab one or two things and move on with my day. By not telling myself no to a candy bar every now and then I don't feel as controlled by a "diet" and am better able to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

The final thing I will do is to pay attention to how a small change makes me feel over time before adding a new self-care activity. I am able to determine if the change is positive or if it is affecting another aspect of my health in a negative way. After a short time, I will begin to find ways to integrate the new activity into something that I already do.

For example, I already use meditation to help maintain my mental and emotional health. Yoga is a great form of meditation. By adding yoga to my routine a couple of days a week, I would be able to combine physical activity and mental meditation. Because a time is already set aside for meditation combining the two activities will not add any extra stress to my schedule and I am benefiting my health in a more rounded way.

WILL MY SELF-CARE BENEFIT OTHERS?

Absolutely!

Self-care and helping others go hand in hand. Think of self-care as being like a glass of water. Each day we wake up with a full cup. For me, I never wake up with a full glass. My mental struggles eliminate a portion of mental, emotional, and physical energy (water) right from the start. Physical and mental illness has the potential to affect the starting energy.

Throughout the day different tasks such as work or maintaining a schedule, helping others, and even our own mental and physical health start to take water from the cup. Self-care activities refill this cup. When the cup gets drained quickly, and no self-care is done to refill it the consequences of being drained carry over to the next day.

After a while, the cup gets so drained from giving that there is nothing left, and even resting at night won't refill the cup enough to get through simple daily tasks. You can't help add water to another person's cup if there is nothing left to give.

When we are at our best, we are able to better be there for people in the way they need when they need it. It took me a long time to realize that I am no good to anyone if I can't regulate my emotions, think clearly and effectively, or even be physically strong enough to keep up with my schedule and someone else's.

DIFFERENT FORMS OF SELF-CARE.

It can be hard to know where to start with self-care. Trying to figure out what you already do, and what you would like to do can seem intimidating. I spent a great deal of time looking up ideas for different self-care activities. Check out the list below and see how many of these you already do, or which ones you would like to add to your routine.

What other ideas do these suggestions spark?

IDEAS FOR SELF-CARE:

• A diet with more fruits and veggies.

• being kinder about how you think of yourself.

• get enough good quality sleep.

• Spend time in nature.

• Start a gratitude journal.

• Exercise.

• Live in the present.

• Journal

• eat breakfast.

• Reflect on what you're grateful for each night.

• Put your phone away for a while.

• Take up a Relaxing Hobby.

• Pick a decent bedtime and stick to it.

• clean

• cook or bake

• to-do list

• massage

• go for a walk

• listen to music/podcast

• make art

• play a game

• practice deep breathing

• read

• take a timed nap

• watch a movie or tv show

The list of different things that can be considered self-care is endless because self-care is so subjective. What works for one person doesn't always work for another. Much like all aspects of life, and while you can seek the advice of others to get ideas, or better understand self-care in the end you are the only one who can determine what self-care means to you!

Click the link to check out my writing forum. In this forum, I post journal prompts each week. If journaling is a form of self-care you are interested in starting these prompts will be a great resource.

Writing Forum

Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite forms of self-care include and discover new activities others use you may like to try!