Selfcare and Wellness
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04/01/2022
The term self-care is used a lot these days, but what does it really mean? We take a look at what self-care means in practice and consider the benefits to your health – both mental and physical.
What is Self-Care?
Self-care is the practice of consciously doing things that preserve or improve your mental or physical health. These days, when people talk about self-care they are generally talking about the conscious and deliberate choice to do something that looks after you and your wellbeing. This covers the mental and the physical, and a regime of self-care should improve the way you feel in body and mind.
What are the benefits of self-care?
Self-care can improve your physical health
A big part of self-care is committing to looking after your body and becoming more attuned with its needs. Whether it’s brushing your teeth, exercising more or getting enough sleep each night, part of any program of self-care should focus on looking after your physical health.
Self-care can reduce stress and anxiety
Making time for relaxing activities, such as taking a warm bath, listening to music or practising yoga or meditation, is another common theme of self-care. Any activity that makes you feel more relaxed can help to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety and to lift your mood.
Self-care can boost your self-esteem
As well as helping to calm your nerves, taking time to relax and look after yourself can have a positive impact on the way you see yourself: treating yourself with kindness can make you look upon yourself more kindly.
Self-care protects your mental health
Making changes to prioritise self-care can help to manage mental health issues and might even prevent them from getting worse. Of course, self-care is not a substitute for professional help, and you shouldn’t feel you have to tackle your problems alone. If your mental health is suffering, you should always talk to someone. However, if you’re looking to improve your mental wellbeing, taking the time to care for yourself both mentally and physically is really important.
Self-care can lead to better relationships
It makes sense if you think about it: the happier and healthier you are, the more you can give to a relationship. This is especially important if you are a parent or carer. It can be so easy to put someone else’s needs first, but you must look after your own health too.
Why is self-care important?
Self-care is an important part of living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Looking after yourself both mentally and physically is crucial to taking control of your health.
We lead increasingly busy lives, and it can be easy to forget to put yourself first, especially if you have multiple responsibilities and other people to care for. But looking after yourself will make you feel better, and the better you feel, the better you will be in all areas of your life – from work to relationships.
Self-care doesn’t have to involve a huge time commitment and it doesn’t have to cost the earth. It could be taking a bath, relaxing with a good book, taking a walk outside or eating your favourite food. It’s about making a commitment to putting yourself first, even just for a while!
WRITTEN BY:
ASHLEY REYES
