What is Self Care, Anyway?
The question, What is self care? Is answered by the WHO :
“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 worker.”
It includes basic activities such as:
- getting enough sleep
- eating a healthy diet
- exercising regularly
- attending to your hygiene
Self-care also includes a wide range of other activities and behaviours too, like:
- taking a 10-minute break at work to do some deep breathing in order to de-stress
- going to your doctor when you're unwell
- creating and maintaining healthy boundaries, such as saying 'I'm sorry, I can't today'
- keeping negative and toxic people at arms length
Who is self-care for?
It goes without saying that self-care is for everyone, regardless of gender. However, there are some differences in the ways that self-care is practised by men and women…
Men
- Men may be less likely to seek out professional help when it comes to mental health and emotional well-being. Men may also be less likely to talk about their feelings or seek support from friends and family, which can make it more difficult for them to manage stress and improve their overall well-being…
- Men may be more likely to engage in self-care activities that are focused on physical well-being, such as exercise and outdoor activities. This can be a great way to take care of oneself, but lacks attention to a man's emotional and mental health…
- Traditional gender roles may discourage men from engaging in activities that are seen as traditionally “feminine” such as yoga or journaling…
Women
- Women are often expected to prioritize the needs of others, such as their families and partners, above their own needs. Because of this, women tend to feel guilty or selfish for prioritizing themselves…
- Women may face financial barriers when it comes to self-care. Many self-care activities, such as spa treatments or fitness classes, can be expensive, and women may not have the financial resources to invest in them...
- Women also face additional pressure on their physical appearance and are often held to unrealistic beauty standards, which can lead to body dissatisfaction and negative self-talk, making it harder to focus on self-care…
Children
What is self care when it comes to children?
Well, it is the job of parents to teach self-care to their children. Here are a few tips to help to teach your child self-care:
- Children learn by observation and mimicking the adults around them
- Make self-care a natural part of your child's day
- Help your child to learn how to identify and express their emotions
- As children grow and develop, encourage them to take responsibility for their own self-care. This can include tasks such as getting dressed, preparing their own meals, and going to bed on their own.
- Helping children find the fun in self-care can make it more appealing, and make it more likely that they will stick to it.
Understanding Why Self Care is So Important
Self-care helps us maintain those three basic – but important – areas of ourselves as human beings: our physical, mental, and emotional health…
We are talking about maintaining and/or improving the overall quality of our life. When we put our attention on caring for ourselves, we prioritize our own well-being and take responsibility for
our own health and happiness…
I know it can be hard because it requires us to put ourselves first instead of always putting other people first. But when we take time for ourselves, we're able to give more time and energy to others later on.
This is our responsibility to ourselves. It belongs to no one else…
Ways to practice self care
Whether you are a man or a woman, here are some ways in which you can practice self-care:
- Take a bath with Epsom salts and lavender essential oil when your body is tired.
- Drink a cup of coffee or tea in bed with a good book or magazine to wind down from a long day.
- Go for a mindful walk outside with nobody but yourself in order to center yourself.
- Shake yourself out of a bad mood by putting on some upbeat music.
- Sit in perfect silence—let your mind wonder; think, dream, imagine, ponder, focus on your breathing, have a hot cappuccino and a biscuit.
- Play with your pet—it will make both of you happier! And don't forget to give them treats too!
- Have some alone time with yourself—no phone calls or texts allowed! Set aside 30 minutes every day to think about what makes you happy. Write down your thoughts in a journal.
- Take a walk along the beach or through the park.
- Make a list of things you're grateful for in your life and keep it somewhere visible so that you can see it often.
- Have a dance party by yourself! Nothing says self-care like letting loose in your living room while blasting your favourite tunes.
- Go on a date with yourself—no one else! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy some time alone with no distractions (or obligations).
- Go see a movie or go out to eat at your favourite restaurant (without anyone else) Good food tastes even better when it's enjoyed solo!
- Wrap yourself up in a blanket, and lay on the sofa all day with a good book and a bag of potato chips!
- Soak your feet in warm, soapy water—give yourself a pedicure.
- Pick up the phone and call that friend who will faithfully listen to you pour your heart out!
- Do some grounding (also called 'earthing')—i.e., walk barefoot in nature; feel the grass between your toes, and the earth under your feet!
The fact is, self-care looks like whatever makes you feel good; whatever makes you feel safe, happy, protected, loved, calm, peaceful, healthy, worthy, energized, or however you need to feel you need to feel at the moment.
Self-Care is Like Self-Love
When you love someone, their well-being is of paramount importance to you. You show them that you love them, and respect them. In the same way you treat them, you should treat yourself…
It's not selfish to take care of yourself, it's actually necessary. You are the most important person in your life, so you need to treat yourself right, too. You're telling yourself:
- “I am worth it.”
- “I deserve good things.”
- “I deserve to feel good about my body.”
- “My happiness matters as much as anyone else.”
When we practice self-love and self-care, we start seeing ourselves as worthy individuals who deserve happiness and success just as much as anyone else does…
What is Self Care – Conclusion
Self-care is the practice of taking an active role in protecting your own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress. All kinds of self-care are valid and have value…
Self-care is for everyone, no matter the age. Children should learn about self-care from the moment they can understand the concept…
If it were up to me, What is Self Care info graphs would be posted on noticeboards in all schools…
It's important to find time and space to practice self-care on a daily basis, and regular practice will create a big difference in your life, especially during hard times when you need it most…
When you take care of yourself, you'll be better able to take care of others, and your everyday life will change for the better.