Self-Care: More Than A Buzzword
Photo by Tolga Ahmetler on Unsplash
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical or mental health professional. Everything I share is information gained through personal experience, professional help, and outside resources. It is your own personal responsibility to seek professional help and advice before implementing any life-altering practices. Everyone's mental health journey looks different. My story is just one of millions. If you are feeling lost, scared, alone, concerned, or just not right, I encourage you to connect with a mental health professional. Don't wait until it becomes a crisis.
*TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of COVID-19 Pandemic*
PERCEPTION OF SELF-CARE
A few years ago, the term “self-care” was only heard here and there, usually from a therapist or health guru. Self-care was viewed with a “Treat Yo’ Self” mentality - massage, splurges, vacations, an expensive bar of chocolate. It was perceived as a practice we could be doing instead of something we need be doing on a regular basis.
Suddenly, March 2020 shows up. Anxiety, fear, stress, overwhelm, and burnout launch “self-care” into the spotlight. It found a home in the forefront of everyone’s mind, along with reading all the books, baking sourdough, and allowing yourself that extra cupcake because… COVID.
But did self-care lose its meaning after being thrown around so much during quarantine? Was it just a fad? A way of coping through this chapter of history when no one knew what else to do?
THE SELF-CARE AWAKENING
Our society, specifically American culture, has been living in an epidemic of a different kind: chronic stress, with money and work being the biggest contributors amongst millennials.
We’ve been conditioned to focus on being busy and making all the money to support this lifestyle, allotting only two days on the weekend to “rest and recover”. But let’s be real, we didn’t rest. We spent trying to cram a week’s worth of what we wanted to do into 48 hours, or even worse, spent it consumed by the dread of Monday. Some of us even worked on the weekends, just wanting to get ahead so we felt less pressure during the next five days, just to repeat the cycle once again.
But when the world came to a screeching halt, we were forced to face what our lives looked like in relation to, not just work, but everything we filled our time with on this planet. Many realized we were stretching our schedule with things we just didn’t want or need to do. We were killing ourselves living this life at this speed, and perpetuating the lie that our life only has meaning based on our work and success comes from how busy we can claim to be.
In the process of running on this hamster wheel, we saw were completely ignoring ourselves. Yes, we had vacations and did fun things with our families, maybe even some “me time” here and there. But as we began to see what self-care truly was, we realized it needed to be more than a happy accident.
WHAT EXACTLY IS SELF-CARE?
Self-care is where good mental and physical health begin. It’s the action of caring for every aspect of your health, including mind, body, and soul.
No, it’s not selfish or inconsiderate. It’s crucial to life.
“Put your own oxygen mask on first.” This adage is used so often in relation to self-care, it’s become almost cliche, but with good reason. You may think you’re doing the best for other people putting their wants and needs above your own. In reality, you’re putting everyone else at risk by not ensuring you’re taken care of. By “putting your mask on first”, you’ve become your own rescuer, and in turn, can now be there to help others.
When we make caring for ourselves - physically, mentally, and emotionally - a priority, we ensure we can live our daily lives to the best of our abilities and help us realize our truest selves. Self-care enables us to bring the best version of us to our relationships, to our responsibilities, and to our communities.
WHAT SELF-CARE LOOKS LIKE
Self-care is just as much about the intention as it is the action. Self-care is made up of specific efforts to support, fuel, and heal our mind, body, and soul. Individual practices can be complicated or simple; extravagant or humble; routine or in the moment; daily or on occasion.
Yoga, deep breathing, creative hobbies, a night out with friends, hikes in nature, dance parties, and time alone are all examples of what self-care can look like.
Most individual self-care practices don’t need to stay the same day-to-day; the act of self-care is what needs to be regular and ongoing. Think of it in terms of food. We don’t eat the same food at every meal, every day. Instead, we eat different foods several times a day, throughout the day. Just like our body needs different foods to gain all the nutrients it needs, our self-care toolkit should include different practices to care for different parts of our self.
WHY SELF-CARE IS IMPORTANT
I said it earlier, I’ll say it again: self-care is crucial. It’s essential to life.
Every facet of your person needs fuel to live and move. Your body uses mainly food, water, and exercise, but your mind and soul need energy too. That energy comes from self-care. The type, quality, and frequency of individual practices all contribute to the impact of self-care.
The numerous potential benefits of self-care are what make it so important, including:
Reduced stress and anxiety levels.
Preventing burnout.
Improved sleep.
Better mood.
Increased energy and productivity.
Decreased risk for various physical ailments and illnesses.
SELF-CARE FOR MIND, BODY, AND SOUL
“Mind, body, and soul/spirit” is often just another way of referring to ones whole self. But what does it mean when we address each of these aspects individually? What part of our person is each referring to, and is it important to know the difference when it comes to self-care?
*In my best TV announcer voice* Be sure to tune in again next time to find out!
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