What is Self-Care?

Stress, anxiety, worry, depression, fear, desperation….it is all around us, and within many of us.

We hear more and more about burn-out, increases in substance abuse, alcoholism and other unhealthy pass times, an increase in domestic abuse, rising suicide rates and a long list of illnesses, directly related to those negative emotions mentioned and also because people are not taking care of the person looking back in the mirror every morning.

Self-care is a general term that describes everything you do deliberately for your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. As simple as it sounds, many of us pay little or no attention to self-care. This is why ‘deliberately' is one of the most important words in the definition. You need to be conscious of your well-being before you can achieve true self-care

Self-care is about actively looking after your own mental health and wellbeing. We all engage with others, whether it is family, friends, colleagues, clients or acquaintances. For you to more effectively connect with others and support them, your physical, mental, and spiritual health is of utmost importance.

We are often so busy with our daily lives and all the ‘stuff’ that happens to us and around us, that we simply forget to properly look after ourselves. 

The concept of self-care is similar to the safety procedures on an aircraft:  ”In the unlikely event of loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down from the panels above. Pull them towards you and put them on your head, covering your nose and mouth. Fit your own mask first, before attending to children or dependents” 

This clearly shows the need to look after yourself first as you are no good to others if you are sick…or die.

By putting yourself first you can, more effectively, help guide and support your loved ones or those in need. 

Self-care is NOT: 

• ·      Selfish, 
• ·      Self-indulgent, 
• ·      Expensive or Luxurious, 
• ·      A fad, 
• ·      The same for everyone, 
• ·      A sign of weakness, or 
• ·      Something to feel guilty about.

Self-care IS: 

• ·      Self-preservation,
• ·      Self-love, 
• ·      Self-compassion, 
• ·      A necessity, 
• ·      Fluid / ever-changing, 
• ·      Intentional, 
• ·      Rejuvenating, 
• ·      Nourishment, 
• ·      An act of giving yourself permission.

Self-care is a personal matter. One size doesn’t fit all, no general principle will always work and therefor Everyone’s approach will be different. 

What motivates you and inspires you is different than the person next door. Look for the things that make you feel alive. Make dates with yourself and when you commit to working out, or doing something for yourself, keep the commitment you make to yourself. You matter and you are worth it!

Why Practice Self-Care?

Practicing self-care is an important personal as well as professional development activity that will help you to cognitively, physically and emotionally ‘bounce back’ every day over the long term.

Here is the link to the video about the above content: https://youtu.be/QJMHKJ567po

Jan Robberts