Why self-care is important

Most of us live very busy lives with lots of responsibilities like work, childcare, school, social life, or community responsibilities.

All of these things can feel overwhelming at times, and our physical, mental, and emotional batteries can feel drained as a result.

That's why it's important to take care of ourselves so we can cope with the stress of daily life and be successful.

Sometimes self-care is seen as being selfish, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Taking care of ourselves so we can live our best lives possible is not only not selfish, it’s key to our well-being.

According to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), self-care is defined as, “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.”

Putting that more simply, it means when we practice good self-care, we have the potential to manage stress better, be more mentally and emotionally resilient, and even live longer.

Here are a few ways you can practice self-care to help enrich your life and promote good health:

1. Take some time for yourself: Choose one activity per week that is just for you. Examples include a manicure or pedicure, a fitness class, or some time reading a good book. Self-care activities do not have to cost money, but they certainly can if that is what brings you joy or peace.
2. Practice gratitude: Gratitude practice is the art of finding things to be thankful for when times feel stressful. Negative thoughts will often trigger a stress response in our body and mind. Gratitude practice can help calm stress and improve mood. To accomplish this, think of two to three things you are grateful for. Whenever you feel stress or unease, call these grateful thoughts to mind and try to dwell on them. You may find that your stress goes down and you feel more at peace.
3. Ask for help: Oftentimes we think that we need to tackle all of life’s obstacles on our own. This can lead to excess stress and burnout over time. It’s okay to reach out to others when we need help and support. We are all in this together!
4. Live a healthy lifestyle: An important part of self-care is taking care of our bodies. By choosing healthy food, exercising regularly, having good sleep hygiene, and avoiding risky substances or exposures, we can care for our physical bodies, which is in turn good for our mental health.

If you want help with getting more self-care into your life, reach out to a Lifestyle Medicine & Wellness Center near you.