What is self-care?
Self-care is simply that, it’s taking care of yourself, the practice of doing things that support your mental and physical health and make you feel better. There are so many different ways to practice self-care and what you decide to do depends on what you need for yourself at that time.
Some simple suggestion of self-care that are either free or affordable:
- Getting a good night’s sleep
- Having a warm bath
- Cooking a healthy meal
- Drinking water
- Enjoying a leisurely walk in nature
- Going for a brisk walk
- Enjoying a cup of tea
- Listening to your favourite music
- Reading a book
- Watching your favourite TV program/movie
- Journaling
- Meditating
- Yoga/stretching
- Spending time with family/friends
Self-care does not need to be expensive, time consuming or being on your own.
Many often don’t prioritise their self-care, thinking that they don’t have enough time for it or that it’s being self-indulgent. However, do you know when you look after yourself better, you feel better within and this positive feeling then spills over into other areas of your life including work, relationships, etc.
Self-care doesn’t require you go for an expensive spa treatment, instead you can have a relaxing bath at home with your favourite scented candles and some music.
Self-care doesn’t require much time; you can enjoy a cup of tea/coffee and just sit and do nothing.
How self-care improves your health:
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Lifts your mood when you feel more relaxed, reducing stress and anxiety.
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It boosts your self-esteem as you are treating yourself with love and kindness; you begin to see yourself in a more positive light.
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It improves your physical health as you are preparing and eating healthy meals and being active.
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It improves focus and energy because you are more relaxed and well rested
You prioritise and say yes to yourself, by making time for yourself. You don’t put your needs at the bottom of your list.
Do you ever feel guilty of self-care？
And I know some people feel guilty when they look after themselves as they feel they should be looking after others or be working or doing the housework.
I understand that it could initially feel that when you’re saying yes to yourself, it may feel that you are saying no to others. However, this is not the case as remember you can’t pour from an empty cup. So, you need to look after yourself first, and then be looking after others.
And it doesn’t mean you need to go away or be on your own either. Your self-care could be to go for a walk with a friend, bake with your children or watch your favourite show with family.
As you can see, you can easily practice some self-care things daily.
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If you want to start making healthy meals as part of your self-care, do get my FREE one day meal planner at https://sujatadin.com/cleaneating