The Latest Research on Self-Care
We all know how good it feels to #treatyourself.?
Decades of research has shown that self-care - nurturing our brains, bodies and spirits - helps us to be more effective at whatever we put our mind to. Since the pandemic, we’ve all heard more about the importance of self-care, but are we doing it? Most people are not.
Why do we struggle to perform self-care??Recent researchers have determined seven key reasons (Regel et al., 2021).
Four behaviour change reasons:
?1. Attachment to unhealthy behaviours
?2. Lack of motivation to change
?3. Difficulty deciding when in the lifespan to adopt a healthy lifestyle
?4. Difficulty in maintaining healthy behaviour over time
And three illness related factors:
?5. Multimorbidity – difficulty integrating self-care across conditions
?6. Inadequate response to symptoms, knowing the right time to seek help
?7. Life events that interact with illness to interfere with healthy behavior
While the illness related factors are difficult to control, behavioural change can be implemented more easily. Behaviour change is heavily influenced by habits. Many unhealthy behaviours such as food choices, how we spend our free time, how much we drink, how??much we exercise or how often we socialise are all formed by habits.?
So how do we change our behaviour and create new habits??
Rather than starting new habits, change existing habits.?It’s almost impossible to find more time for new habits, so how can we do more self-care within our everyday routines? Small changes will be more sustainable and make more of an impact than trying to overhaul your life. For example, go for a walking meeting instead of sitting on zoom, or do a yoga class with a friend rather than going for dinner, read in the bath or outside in fresh air opposed to at your desk. Do more of what gives you energy.
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Research shows that to change a habit, you should also increase your motivation to change that behaviour (e.g. reflect on why you want to change, remind yourself of this regularly), seek support from others (e.g. ask a friend to join you or hold you to account). Technology can also help to address and change habits – set an alarm, create a reoccurring calendar reminder or use a habit changing app.
Eliminate feels of shame, guilt, or obligation.?Rather than feeling bad for not following through with the “me time”, focus on doing something else in that moment that gives you pleasure. If you missed that bath you really wanted, don’t dwell, instead focus on what else you can do within the time you have.?
Find a form of self-care that works for you.?Ignore what everyone else is doing. Most of us think self-care is yoga, mediation or going for a walk. The truth is, for some of us, it’s about watching an episode of reality television. For others it might be muting a text chain. For others, it might be seeking support from a mentor. To figure out what you need, start noticing what gives you joy and energy vs. what makes you feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Ensure your basic needs are met first.?Hitting the gym won’t relieve much stress if you haven’t slept or eaten healthy nutrient-dense food. You need to take care of your basic needs first, before you do the additional “nice to haves”.?
Seek support from a mentor. Research shows that we are more likely to follow through with behaviour change or new habits if we tell someone our goal. This helps to hold us to account. Telling a friend or mentor can help increase your level of commitment and motivation. Ask them to check in with you about it and encourage an open and honest conversation about how you're tracking with your self-care goals.
Is watching TV really self-care? Technically, yes. Martinez et al. (2021) defines self-care as the ability to care for oneself in order to achieve, maintain, or promote optimal health and well-being. Practically, that means that if you are doing something that makes you feel good and is good for your physical, mental, or emotional health – that’s self-care. Instead of focusing on what others want from you, or what you believe you need to be doing, focus on what you need in that moment. That’s self-care.
So what can you commit to doing today, to prioritise your health??Do the type of self-care that is right for you. Start changing your existing habits to incorporate more of what gives you energy. Take small steps, be consistent and reflect regularly. If it’s not working for you, reassess your expectations and make a new small change.??
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