by Lauren Hodges, Sunshima blog writer
When you fall down and scrape your knee, what do you do? You tend to the physical wound by cleaning it, putting a band aid on it, and maybe going easy on that part of your body for the day.
Reason being, you can clearly see that your armor has a nick in it and that the best way for that nick to heal is by taking care of it. Makes sense, right? This concept also applies to how you look after yourself on an emotional level via managing your stress, reducing anxiety, boosting your mood, showing yourself love, and various other forms of self-care.
So, what is self-care?
Self-care is any act that you perform with the purpose or goal of tending to your inner needs.
Unlike scheduling a doctor’s visit, there is no specific time that you need to engage in self-care practices because it varies person to person. There are a few recommended moments in life such as after a loss, during a time of grief, when you feel stressed, if you’re feeling sad, or if you feel overwhelmed. These are great times to take a time out from your day, so to speak, and tend to your emotional needs.
However, self-care is not solely about fixing what’s broken or bent, it’s about insuring what’s whole, stays whole. Just as you would see a doctor for an annual physical to confirm all parts are in order, you should be doing the same for your emotional/mental health on a much more frequent basis. Perhaps, even once a week if not more.
What are some self-care practices?
Now that you have a basic understanding of what self-care is, you can better comprehend the importance of the various self-care techniques many people use.
There are dozens of ways you can take care of yourself mentally and emotionally that range from a simple walk in the park to an extravagant weekend getaway, but in order to determine what you need, you need to listen to your inner self and determine what is missing. What is making you feel the way you do and how can you correct it?
For example, if you are feeling an overwhelming amount of sadness, it may be beneficial to tend to that by getting out of the house, meeting up with friends, going for a walk, walking your dog, etc.
Consider the following practices as well:
- Taking a long bath/shower
- Journaling
- Physical movement – working out, dancing, skateboarding, etc.
- Repeating affirmations
- Meditating
- Visiting friends
- Calling someone to say hello
- Taking a day trip
Why is it important?
As a collective, we as humans are taught to do more, keep working, persevere, but we aren’t told about the toll that can take on our health and well-being. We are told that “life happens” and all too often to “suck it up” when something is wrong. Neither of those things are okay, but I’m not about to tell you to stop doing them because that’s going to take some time.
Instead, I’m going to tell you that self-care helps us tend to any parts of our inner selves that may be getting a little run down or feeling a bit fragile. Our physical bodies can only take us so far without the inner mechanics being in tune.
Taking care of yourself is not selfish, it’s not cheesy, it’s not childish, and if anyone tries to tell you otherwise, you just laugh and walk away. Self-care teaches you to be aware of your body, your mind, and your emotions and how to tend to them when they feel a little achy. It reduces stress, improves your mood, helps to realign yourself with your goals, and so much more!