What is Self-Care?
We need to clear up one common misconception from the outset: self-care does not equate to self-indulgence or selfishness. Self-care is simply that: taking care of yourself. It involves looking after your health and physical and mental well-being, which in turn gives you the energy to perform your work, help others, and achieve your goals.
With the uncertainty and stress brought on by the last few years, caring for yourself is more important than ever. It is no surprise that the number of people searching online for self-care-related terms has increased since 2020!
Why Do We Frequently Neglect Self-Care?
It isn't always easy to find the time to practice self-care. The average person is too busy, too stressed, or too distracted by technology to take care of themselves. Taking care of yourself usually comes last. And to make matters worse, we tend to feel guilty about taking time for ourselves.
What are Examples of Self-Care?
Self-care doesn’t need to be elaborate or involve travelling to an exotic location. Not sure where to start? Here are Twill Active's 10 self-care practices you can easily incorporate into your everyday routine:
- Make sure you get a good night's sleep
- Keeping hydrated by drinking plenty of water
- Get outside into nature
- Take a relaxing bath
- Say no without feeling selfish
- Get your body moving with exercise or yoga
- Create a skincare routine
- Try cooking a new recipe for dinner
- Identify five or more positive attributes about yourself
- Spend time with friends and family
Why is Self-Care Important?
The effects of self-care routines have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, increase concentration, ease frustration and anger, and increase an individual's overall well-being and happiness.
It's important to remember that self-care is not a luxury but more of a priority. When you do not take time to care for your mental and physical well-being, you will often feel overwhelmed, tired, and unprepared to handle the challenges you face daily.
What do you think - how will you integrate self-care practices into your daily routine? Remember: Self-care means something different to everyone because each person is unique. The key is to figure out which self-care strategies work best for you, learn how to use them, and then incorporate them into your daily routine to improve your health today and for the rest of your life.