Are you taking good care of yourself enough?
If you had, you would not have looked up self-care tips on the internet.
Most of the time, we think self-care only involves eating three square meals, taking a daily bath, sleeping, and then doing it all over again.
But that is not self-care; that is surviving.
Self-care means taking care of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being so that you can efficiently carry out your daily activities, support others, and do so repeatedly without burning out.
In this blog post, we will discuss how you can become a better version of yourself by making self-care a lifestyle and understanding its importance.
What Is The True Essence Of Self-Care?
The true essence of self-care is YOU. Self-care is about being your best self so that you can offer that version to the rest of the world.
You + Self-care = Self Love.
You cannot truly love yourself without taking care of yourself; thinking otherwise is just a delusion.
Remember that self-care is not selfish.
So, if you don’t feel like going out to a party with your friends and would rather stay at home to relax with your favourite book or movie, that’s not selfish. It’s simply you recognising your needs and choosing to prioritise them over other desires.
How To Make Self-Care A Habit
Adding at least one of the following self-care habits to your daily life will help you make self-care a lifestyle.
1. Eating a balanced diet
You should form a habit of regularly consuming healthy, balanced meals daily. A balanced diet should include:
- Carbohydrates: Rice, whole bread, quinoa, oats, and sweet potatoes
- Protein: beans, poultry, fish, beef, eggs
- Vitamins: carrots, oranges, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, fruits (watermelon, oranges), vegetables.
- Fats: avocados, olive oil, almonds, chia seeds, salmon
- Minerals: Milk, spinach, lentils, nuts, bananas
- Water: drinking enough water to stay hydrated. Herbal teas can be a great addition to your hydration routine, but they should not be used as a replacement for water.
All these foods should be part of your daily meals, and each of them is equally important. You can reduce your food quantity but do not omit any of the nutrients.
Related: Nutrient-dense Foods For Weight Loss
2. Make exercise a routine
Incorporating exercise into your lifestyle is incredibly beneficial for your self-care, both in the short and long term. You can choose to briskly walk, run, jog, do high-intensity interval training (HIIT), do cardio, or even do yoga.
There are so many exercises out there, all of which are beneficial. All you need to do is pick one that works for you and that you can sustain in the long run.
Related: 5 Most Underrated Forms Of Exercises
You don’t need to work out for 2 hours every day; exercising for 30 to 60 minutes two to four times a week can significantly improve your health and reduce your stress levels.
Personally, I go for a run three times a week and walk to my destinations whenever possible. This routine fits into my schedule well.
Find the exercise that works for you; what matters most is that you are consistent with it.
Related: How Can I Balance Work, College, and Fitness Without Losing My Mind?
3. Strive for peace of mind
Striving for peace of mind means doing things that won’t stress your mental health or make you feel down.
Instead of going to clubs on weekends, consider taking a walk in the park or reading a book. It could be a spiritual book or something that helps improve your thinking. You can also try meditating or practising yoga to relax and improve mindfulness.
Avoiding conflicts and finding better emotional outlets can also help reduce stress. Sometimes, it’s best to choose silence over arguing, as it can prevent saying things that could ruin your day.
While some activities, like work or school, can’t be avoided, you can find ways to control how they affect you. For example, if your job is stressful, consider practicing meditation or adjusting your schedule to be more productive and less stressed.
4. Try to get enough sleep
It’s crucial to not take your sleeping times for granted. To make self-care a priority, it’s essential to maintain a consistent sleeping routine.
Typically, teens and adults need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. If you find yourself consistently getting less than 7 hours of sleep, it’s important to adjust your bedtime to ensure you get adequate rest.
Related: 9 Life Hacks for Improved Sleep Routine
Not getting enough sleep can lead to a chaotic day, worsened mood, and decreased productivity due to mental fatigue.
However, individual sleep needs can vary; some people might function well with just 6 hours of sleep, while others require more.
Personally, I struggle without at least 7 hours of sleep. Inadequate sleep leaves me with headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and increased hunger.
It is also important to note that if you find yourself needing less sleep than before, it might not be a positive change. Your body could have adapted to less sleep, putting you at risk of developing insomnia.
5. Make your personal development a priority
I cannot stress enough how important it is to find ways to develop yourself in terms of health, education, and business.
Having discussed the importance of health in self-care, it’s also essential to dedicate time to improving your financial situation and sources of income and educating yourself to expand your knowledge.
Make it a part of your lifestyle to constantly seek self-improvement, whether it involves taking online courses to enhance your skills or using your talents to start a business.
For example, if you have a knack for writing, delve deeper into the skill and start writing online.
Avoid detrimental habits and behaviours, such as drug and alcohol abuse, that can harm your well-being.
Related: What Is A Self-Care Checklist? What Should It Include?
6. Remember that self-care loves company
Surround yourself with people who are committed to self-improvement.
There’s a saying, “Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.”
Your behaviour is influenced by the people you spend time with, whether you realise it or not, and it works both ways.
If you aspire to be successful, surround yourself with like-minded individuals who are driven, mutually respectful, and dedicated to turning ideas into action.
Why is caring for yourself important?
There are various benefits of self-care Like, should there even be a benefit in the first place? You care for yourself because you need to, it is a necessity. Moreover, prioritising a self-care lifestyle can have short and long-term benefits:
The immediate benefit of self-care is that it can:
- Help reduce your stress levels through meditation.
- Help you get better sleep. When you have set and followed a sleep routine, you can get a sufficient amount of sleep daily.
- Raise your self-esteem. When you know that you are working hard to become better, you tend to feel more confident.
- Improve your mood. Activities such as exercise, which release endorphins, can help boost your mood.
- Increase your productivity. When you take breaks and know how to manage your time effectively, you become more productive.
The lasting benefit of self-care is that it can:
- Help contribute to increasing your life span.
- Boost your immune system.
- Improve your cognitive function. You can develop mental strength and be able to think clearly.
- Improve your health and manage chronic conditions. Physical and mental self-care have been seen to help curb conditions such as depression, diabetes, and heart disease.
- Help prevent diseases. Eating a balanced, healthy diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep can help reduce the risk of obesity and stroke.
- Lead you to develop more long-term healthy habits.
- Reduce your chances of experiencing burnout.
- Improve your job satisfaction and source of income.
When you can take care of yourself properly, you will see that everything else begins to fall into place, making your life considerably easier.
There are numerous known and unknown benefits of self-care, but the main thing to keep in mind is that it will always be for your benefit, and it can never be wrong to care for yourself.
Share your self-care journey with them, and they will appreciate it and be inspired by it as well.
Conclusion
Always remember that no one can take care of you better than you can, so make self-care your number one priority.
You will benefit more than anyone else.
So the next time you come across a bad habit, ask yourself if it is worth your health.
Having read this blog post, you now have a better idea of what self-care entails and the next steps to take to become your best self.
Leave a comment below on what resonated with you and the next step you would like to take to improve yourself.
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REFERENCES
Bottaro, A. (2023). Self-Care Is a Trendy Buzzword, but What Exactly Is It? (online) Verywell Health. Available at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-self-care-5212781#toc-why-is-self-care-important (Accessed May 27, 2024).
Lawler, M. (2023). What Is self-care and Why Is It Critical for Your health? (online) Everyday Health. Available at: https://www.everydayhealth.com/self-care/ (Accessed May 27, 2024).
