Prioritizing yourself: The importance of self-care
We live hectic lives and have constant demands on our time. It's all too common to place work and family obligations at the top of our list of priorities. Work-life balance is often focused on the care of work and family or chores to be done. We frequently ignore an important part of the caregiving equation: ourselves. Taking care of yourself is not a selfish act. It is a key part of building personal resilience and overall wellbeing, allowing yourself to be present for the significant moments of your life.
So, what exactly is self-care?
Self-care includes thoughtful actions and effort to nurture your own physical, emotional, and mental health. Self-care tends to be overlooked and put on the back burner until a crisis occurs. However, self-care is a vital practice that should not be placed on the bottom of your to-do list.
Self-care is personal and can be many things. It could involve cooking a healthy meal, listening to a podcast, practicing meditation, planning a trip, spending time with friends, going for a nature walk, or setting boundaries to avoid excessive demands on your time. Self-care is anything that nourishes your mind, body, or spirit. The key is to make self-care a part of your daily routine rather than viewing it as something to do only when you find the time.
Take some time to reflect on your own self-care practices:
Health: This means the care of your physical wellbeing, involving habits like consuming a nutritious diet, engaging in regular exercise, and ensuring you get sufficient, high-quality sleep. Including these practices into your daily routine can support your immune system and improve your mood.
Hobbies: Hobbies can be anything that brings you joy, whether it's playing a sport, learning a new language or musical instrument, watching the latest movies, or immersing yourself in books that you love. Regularly engaging in activities purely for pleasure is not frivolous. It's an excellent way to care for yourself.
Social: Make time to connect with your friends. Share what’s going on in your life, and listen as they share their thoughts and experiences. Social interactions increase your sense of self-worth and help alleviate stress.
Spiritual: Spirituality can take various forms, but it is essentially about caring for your innermost self. This might involve religious practices and prayer, yoga and meditation, learning ancestral practices, or taking leisurely walks in nature. Whatever form it takes for you, these activities nourish your relationship to your inner self.
Remember that self-care is not a selfish act. Quite the opposite—it is one of the most generous things you can do to give yourself support. When you prioritize your self-care, you become more available and better equipped to be your best self.
