Wisdom and the Art of Self-Care
Every day is a struggle to stay afloat. There are bills to be paid, responsibilities to be managed, and obligations to be fulfilled. And when you're constantly focused on your own problems in the sea of ambiguity, it becomes very easy for those problems to consume you and dictate how you live your life. It can feel like there's no room for anything else when all there is is yourself; which is why it's so important that we find ways of nurturing ourselves as much as possible. This practice combines both the physical and mental approach by taking time out of our day for self-care activities that make us feel good about ourselves and help us maintain a sense of inner peace.
In this article we will look at:
What self-care is.
What are some activities that fall under the category of self-care.
Benefits of doing self-care activities regularly.
Why it's important to take time out for yourself. When and how to do it. How to make it a habit without it feeling like a burden .
Self-care is an integral part of yourself, and by practicing some form of self-care you allow yourself the opportunity to know yourself better, which enriches your life with positivity, happiness and confidence as you begin to appreciate who you are as an individual and come closer to understanding why you do the things you do.
What is Self-Care?
Self-care is self-love. It is a practice that allows you to nourish your body, mind and soul, bringing balance into your life. Self-love, or lack thereof, has a direct impact on the way we treat other people and ourselves. If you don't feel good enough about yourself, your actions towards others will often reflect this by mirroring the qualities you despise within yourself. Self-care combats these feelings of negativity so that we can feel more confident in ourselves as individuals and therefore give more love out to the people around us. As it's impossible to love others when we don't love ourselves.
What is Self-Care Activity?
Self-care activities are routines that work towards the overall development of our physical, cognitive and emotional health. And they should all be done for yourself, to develop the habit of self-care and to create a sense of wellbeing in your life. Some examples of self-care activities include meditation, massage, yoga, massages and other disciplines such as Tai Chi, Qigong or Pilates. You could also consider doing relaxing activities such as drawing or painting. These activities are often free from any dangers to your physical health but should always be supervised by a professional so that you receive the correct support at all times.
Benefits of Self-Care
Self-care has a lot of benefits to our quality of life, including:
Improves our quality of life by improving our mental and physical health. Removes negativity from our lives and replaces it with positivity. Surrounds us with people who have similar interests and can share their experiences. Allows us to be creative as we use these new skills to express ourselves. Makes us feel good about ourselves as we begin to appreciate the small things in life that are often taken for granted or forgotten about. Makes us appreciate other people more by bringing attention to their personality flaws, so we can treat them better and in turn receive the same treatment in return.
Why it's Important to Take Time Out for Yourself
Taking time out should be a must in our lives, as we spend most of our time looking after others and neglecting ourselves. We often forget to consider our needs or put them on the back burner, when in reality they are just as important as everybody else's. By taking time out for yourself you can really appreciate what you have in your life and begin to understand why you do the things that you do. By giving yourself the opportunity to discover these things about yourself, you can start to feel better about who you are. This not only makes you feel more confident, but it also makes for a more enjoyable life.
When and How to Do it
The best time to do self-care activities is right when you first get up. This will give your body and mind a chance to wake up and come out of its rest mode, making it more receptive to the feelings of positivity that you want to create. It's also a good idea that you sit down for these activities, as this allows your mind to go into a deeper state of relaxation, which can really help you let go of anxieties or stresses from the day before. Always make sure that you do these activities for at least 20 minutes at the beginning of your day, as this is often when you feel most refreshed. If you are too tired in the morning, leave it for another time of the day that suits you better. Try to make them a daily routine, and if you miss one day, don't worry or feel like you have to make up for it by doing two days in one day. Just carry on as normal and try to get back into the routine whenever you can. It's also a good idea that these activities are done in a quiet environment where there are no distractions so that your mind can focus on your well-being.
How to Make it a Habit Without it Feeling Like a Burden
You can make self-care a regular part of your life by simply making sure you do it every day. Although for some people, this may seem like too much at first. So, start off with one day per week and then slowly increase the amount of time you spend on these activities until you reach the level of consistency that you want. But remember to give yourself time to develop the habit by giving yourself enough room for mistakes and failures along the way as without them we would never learn from our experiences or be able to grow as individuals.
The best way to start is by making a list of activities that you would like to try and aim for consistency in doing one thing every day. It's important to be flexible with these guidelines as it doesn't matter how long you practice an activity for, what matters most is that you are doing something. Try combining different activities together such as meditating while stretching, painting your nails and listening to music, or even going for a walk while listening to inspirational podcasts or watching YouTube videos about personal development or other self-help topics.
If you really can't find the time to do these things at the start, then make sure that they are placed in a position where they become impossible to avoid. So, if you are a family member of yours that goes to work early in the mornings, make sure you do these activities at least an hour beforehand so that your mind and body are already awake before it's time to leave for work. A good way of doing this is by dressing up nicely or even applying make-up, so that you feel more prepared for whatever activities may come your way. This way you will feel more confident about yourself as either person and this feeling has the effect of making other people treat you with respect.
Make sure that when these activities are done, you quietly regard them as special occasions and never overdo them because this will only lead to excessive exhaustion and likely burnout.
Conclusion
We all have the power to improve our lives in many ways and self-care activities are just one example of how to make this possible. These habits will help you become a more accepting, happier person and it's important that you take advantage of this ability. By learning to be more accepting of the things that may seem like they are detrimental to your life, you can improve your life in other ways, such as a healthier body or a better lifestyle. By taking time out for yourself, you will learn how to appreciate what is truly important and develop new skills and habits towards improving your performance at work or at home.