Self-Care: Why you need to start prioritising yourself

14 Jun Self-Care: Why you need to start prioritising yourself

We live in a constantly moving and changing world, and while that is great on the innovation and creation front, it can sometimes feel overwhelming and draining. And when we feel overwhelmed and exhausted, we may not be as inclined to embrace our curiosity and the learning environment. That is why self-care is such an essential part of lives, after all, we can’t expect to take in new info if our inner world feels too cluttered. 

You might have come to expect self-care to be face masks, bubble baths and candles, and while it can be those things, The Journal of Counselling Psychology describes self-care as, “a multidimensional, multifaceted process of purposeful engagement in strategies that promote healthy functioning and enhance well-being.” Essentially, self-care is less about products and more about actively choosing to make your well-being a priority. 

Self-care can be key in helping us build resistance against the stressors in life, making us better equipt to approach life through a lens of curiosity and openness. Taking care of ourselves doesn’t have to be a luxury but can be little actionable steps we can take to live our best life.

Physical self-care

There are numerous studies that show that our minds and bodies are interconnected and often if one is feeling run down, so will the other. To ensure that you are feeling good physically, ask yourself some of the following questions:

• Am I sleeping enough?
• What am I eating and why?
• Do I get enough movement in my day?

Mental self-care

Our mental health plays a major role in our we operate in our daily lives and is key to us feeling mentally strong enough to handle life’s daily pressures. This includes looking after our mental health, taking note of our triggers, the content we consume and how we speak to ourselves. 

Numerous studies have found that simply incorporating positive self-talk and positive thinking can greatly affect your mental health by lowering stress levels, improving resistance and allowing us to perform better in tasks that matter to us.

Some activities you can include in your self-care routine.

• Exercising outside 
• Dancing to your favourite songs
• Eating more fruits and vegetables
• Decluttering your space
• Physical touch 
• Journaling
• Meditation
• Embracing your inner child
• Taking a social media break
• Indulging in your hobbies