Importance of self-care
Self-Care is an essential part of good well-being for everyone. Yet it’s something many do not invest much time into. It doesn’t matter who you are; self-care is such an important act.
Self-Care is an essential part of good well-being for everyone. Yet it’s something many do not invest much time into. It doesn’t matter who you are; self-care is such an important act.
It is essential to plan and take time to do activities that help you live well and help improve both your physical and mental health.
Click the image to see more on self-care via the Self-care forum for self-care week.
Self-care is a healthy process of giving ourselves time to rest and restore, eat well and participate in activities that bring us joy. The result of self-care practices is that we feel calmer, focus better, and reduce stress.
When we don’t make self-care a part of our daily or weekly life, everything feels busy and less worthwhile. It sounds counterintuitive to make time for self-care when the days are already full; however, one can function at a higher capacity by creating space for self-care. Self-care recharges the batteries and offers extra vitality.
Like a plant that isn’t watered or given the proper nutrients, it withers, has low energy, and becomes less stimulated to seek vitality or, in our case, as humans, fun and happiness.
Including all the parts of the puzzle
It doesn’t matter who you are or what age you are. We all need to have routines of self-care embedded in our lives.
For some, it may be going for a walk, taking a long bath, getting fresh, being in nature, savouring your favourite drink, watching birds at a lake or the leaves or grass move in the wind.
For some, it could be enjoying a catch-up with a friend or family or relaxing and enjoying some good music.
The missing part of the puzzle is eating well - a balanced diet with lots of fluids and movement.
Much research has gone into how what we eat can affect our mental health and the importance of having a good variety of fruit and vegetables in our meals daily. To boost not only our nutrition. It also provides essential vitamins and minerals that support our mental well-being.
Another important aspect of self-care is sound sleep hygiene. Without regular balanced sleep, we get out of routine and don’t allow our bodies and brains to rest and restore, ready for our daily demands. So sleep, along with eating a well-balanced diet and some movement, is a practice.
Meditation is another activity that helps us stop, pause and reset. It gives us space to truly pause and learn to feel more centred and balanced.
Just 5 minutes of meditation a day can go a long way to supporting our well-being.
One outstanding practice is called; The Relaxation Response. Dr Hebert Benson created this process. He completed over twenty years of study using the technique to prove it works at Harvard University.
If practiced at least once a day, it’s been proven to reduce blood pressure and assist with a range of other medical conditions. Including anxiety, trauma responses, and daily stress.
Here is a link to practicing the relaxation response - Guided Meditation: https://youtu.be/YXRnPsve-ek
There are many ways to practice self-care, which is essential to a balanced lifestyle.
