By now, almost everyone should have heard the phrase ‘self-care’. While not necessarily a new concept, it has definitely snowballed in popularity in the last few years. A lot of people tend to view self-care as new-age mumbo jumbo or something that the snowflake generation indulges in. However, self-care is simply a term coined to describe practices that one carries out for the betterment of their own mental and physical health. It comes down to making a decision to better care for oneself instead of continually putting others first. Let’s take a look.
The Different Forms of Self-Care
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There are three different forms of self-care, but they do tend to intertwine together. Firstly, there is physical self-care. Obviously, your body needs to be looked after in order to ensure that it is working optimally. Looking after your body well can then affect other areas of your life, like your mental health. Examples of physical self-care would be things like exercising, eating well and getting enough high-quality sleep.
Next is emotional or mental self-care. Your cognitive processes play a huge part in how you feel and your overall sense of wellbeing. Mental self-care is pretty varied because it does depend on the individual; for the most part, it encompasses anything that you find relaxing or that helps you to destress or things that you find mentally stimulating. Finally, mental self-care does also include doing things to establish a healthier relationship with yourself and your body.
The final form that self-care can take is social self-care. Socialization is incredibly important, especially developmentally for children. Human beings are social creatures who don’t fare well in isolation. Building healthy, reliable and long-lasting relationships is paramount for your health. Social self-care should be pretty self-explanatory. It is simply making sure that you are spending time with other people in a social setting.
What Constitutes Self-care?
Realistically, it is difficult to categorize one thing or another as self-care because it does come down to the preferences of the individual. In the end, it is about what you enjoy doing or what makes you feel good. For some people, self-care could be indulging in a hobby that they enjoy; it could be taking some time to themselves to finally read that book that they have been meaning to get around to or taking a bath or eating their favorite dinner.
Self-care can be as expensive as you chose; you don’t necessarily have to spend any money, but some people like the idea of treating themselves. Finally, self-care for you could be about your physical appearance. This may be a new item of clothing, haircut, cosmetic procedure, or even adult braces could count as self-care if it improves your relationship with yourself. If you are in doubt that braces could count as self-care or improve your self-esteem then check it out for yourself; see the results from ALIGNERCO.
The Role of Self-care
At its core, self-care is a vital element of working towards a protecting your sense of wellbeing. It encourages you to live a healthier lifestyle which in turn can make you happier. Most people today lead busy lives, and often putting yourself first is seen as selfish and frowned upon. This is why a lot of people end up neglecting their own needs, which can lead to burnout and the exacerbation of mental health issues. When you have taken the time to care for yourself and ensure that you are as physically and mentally healthy as possible, you are then better able to care for your dependents or others.
Self-care has been proven to produce results. The benefits, like the forms of self-care, are often inexplicably linked together. Dedicating more time to looking after your physical health will make you fitter and healthier, which is obviously beneficial to your overall health. It can also help to improve your mental health by providing you with the tools needed to reduce the levels of stress within your body. You can benefit from a more relaxed state and the quieting of symptoms associated with anxiety and even depression.
Finally, by taking the time to look after yourself, you are communicating an important message about your self-worth. You are proving to yourself that you are valuable and worthy of being looked after. It can have a profound effect on your self-esteem and, in turn, your self-confidence too. Treating yourself with kindness is incredibly important. In addition to improving your mental health and robust sense of self, it also allows you to form an idea of how you should be treated by others too.
Final Thoughts
The idea of self-care is definitely worth exploring in your own lives. It really can be incredibly beneficial. However, it is also worth noting that while self-care can indeed be helpful, it is not a cure. If you are struggling with your mental or physical health or even your self-esteem, then you should seek professional health. Finding ways to implement self-care practices in your schedule can be transformative to your wellbeing, so it is worth thinking about.
