The Importance of Self-Care

When was the last time you took care of yourself without feeling rushed or guilty about it? Self-care doesn’t always have the best reputation. Sometimes, prioritizing oneself can be
perceived as selfish or indulgent. Instead, today I want to approach the topic of self-care from the perspective of understanding how an individual's practice of self-care impacts those around them, in addition to their own physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

What Is Self-Care?
When you see the words “self-care”, what do you think?

For many, self-care means a spa day, beach vacation, or a financial splurge. While these
things can be forms of self-care, it can also be much simpler than that. Going for a walk,
allocating enough time for a good night's sleep, journaling, and setting healthy boundaries are just some examples of self-care practices that contribute to a more positive mental well-being.

Ultimately, self-care involves looking inward and listening to what your body needs.
Furthermore, it involves responding to your needs with compassion and care, rather than
frustration and judgment.

Why Is Self-Care Important?
When living in a career-focused, productivity-driven society, it can be hard to prioritize rest
and pleasure. Hustling is the norm in Western societies, and education about the importance of relaxation and nervous system regulation is often limited.

Neglecting self-care can have many implications, including burnout, exhaustion, emotional
outbursts, and difficulty navigating daily challenges.

What Does Self-Care Look Like?
As stated above, self-care can take many forms and may look different for everyone. What
one person considers relaxing might drain someone else. This is why it is important to listen to your body and mind to determine what self-care activities might work best for you.

Examples of physical self-care practices:

• Going on a walk

• Staying hydrated

• Eating nutritious and balanced meals

• Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule

• Listening to your body when you feel sick or tired

Examples of emotional and mental self-care practices:

• Attending counselling

• Journaling

• Engaging in enjoyable activities

• Mindfulness practices

• Challenging negative or unhealthy thoughts
  

Examples of social self-care practices:

• Setting healthy boundaries

• Spending time with supportive people

• Joining a club or activity

• Calling or FaceTiming a friend or family member

Why Self-Care Can Be Difficult
Whether you are a parent, a student, an employee, or a partner, there are often many other people and things that require your care and attention. In the thick of parenthood, especially with multiple kids, self-care might be the last thing on your list of priorities.

This is why it is important to remember how maintaining self-care can positively influence
your parenting, work, and relationships.

One example is emotional regulation. There are many ways to regulate emotions, such as
practising mindfulness, going on a walk, or journaling. In many ways, emotional regulation
and self-care overlap. Furthermore, emotional regulation is taught through example. The
more regulated you are, the more regulated your children will be.

All this is to say that practising self-care can benefit your kids and those around you in ways that you might not expect.

How To Make Time For Self-Care
The idea of adding self-care practices to your schedule might feel overwhelming or time-
consuming. Finding time for each type of self-care can seem impossible in an already full
schedule. What if there were ways that you could take care of your mind and body with one activity?

By incorporating socialization into self-care activities for your emotional, mental, or physical well-being, you can maximize the benefits. For example, going for a walk with a friend can be a form of self-care that is mental, emotional, physical, and social.

Self-care is about doing what supports you, not doing more. Prioritizing yourself might even mean the opposite of more, such as taking a day off of work to relax or cancelling plans that feel overwhelming or undesirable.

Prioritizing yourself is not selfish; in fact, it is necessary to maintain your overall well-being
and to properly care for those around you.