Self-care is a topic that I am so passionate about because I truly believe that you cannot live your best life without it. I talked about it in my Productivity blog post, you cannot be go, go, go 24/7 because you will just end up burning out. I definitely can be guilty of this sometimes. It can be easy to neglect our mental health due to school, family life, or let’s just say…a global pandemic.
What is Self-Care?
Let’s start with, what is self-care? Self-care is any activity or hobby that takes care of our all-around health. It can be taking a nap, reading a book, going for a run, or just watching TV.
This may seem like such a simple thing to do…we’re doing activities that we love, how easy? It can be easy. Self-care should be something that brings YOU joy, which means that it’s going to look different for everyone.
For example, going for a run clears my mind and is a form of self-care, but for others going for a run could be seen as a form of punishment. It takes a lot of trial-and-error to find what specific activities recharge you and allow you to be your best self.
Now that we’ve established what self-care is, let’s say what self-care is not. Self-care is not forcing yourself to do an activity because you think you should be enjoying it.
Like I said before, self-care will look different for everyone. How awful does it sound to be doing an activity that you absolutely hate because you think it will bring you joy? Trust me, that’s not what you want. Self-care should be recharging your body, not draining it of the energy you have.
Why is Self-Care Important?
So, why is self-care important? Without self-care and taking time for ourselves, we will burn out and eventually come to resent the thing that we’re forcing ourselves to do.
I love school and being a nutrition major. I enjoy doing my homework, going to classes, and furthering my education. Even though I enjoy school, if I’m constantly working on my schoolwork with no breaks, no days off, and nothing else…I will eventually come to NOT love it.
You need to take breaks, whether it’s a whole day, 1 week, 2 hours or 30 minutes…you need something. If not, you’ll become a robot that’s just going through the motions without enjoying it. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not a chore.
I want to point out that in order to practice self-care that doesn’t bring stress into your life, you need to plan it out. You don’t need to plan out every little thing you’re going to do down to the minute, but just plan out a chunk of time that you’re going to dedicate to yourself.
I’ve found that Sundays are my designated self-care days. I love taking a long hot shower, doing a face mask, and cleaning my room/apartment. Plan and write down a set time frame to hold yourself accountable for your self-care practices. If you don’t plan out time, it’s hard to know and look forward to when you’re having “me” time.
My Favorite Self-Care Activities
With that being said, here are some of my favorite activities for self-care that make ME feel good and bring ME joy:
- Do a face and hair mask
- Take a hot shower
- Clean my room
- Practice yoga
- Face-time a friend or family member
- Listen to a podcast
- Cook a good meal
- Go outside for a walk or run
- Stay off social media
- Watch Netflix or YouTube
These are some activities that I know make me feel good and recharged. You can also have some bigger activities you enjoy like going on vacation, taking a hike, seeing a movie, etc… Those are great activities that can improve mental health, but they are just not reasonable for everyone.
Going on vacation may be something you can look forward to a few times a year, but not every week or day. I like doing things that I can do every day and don’t necessarily require any money (but hey, that’s just me).
As I mentioned before, Sunday’s are my “self-care” days, but I also like to take an hour or so at night to do at least one of these activities listed. I find that when I do just one thing off my list every day, my mental and physical health is 10x better than if I didn’t do any of them.
Saying No
Something I want to point out that I think is a huge part of self-care is saying no. I tend to be a people pleaser, which I think most people can relate to. I want to make others happy and do my job right, which sometimes does not align with my self-care habits.
If you’re constantly saying yes to others and no to yourself, you are going to suffer. Saying no to activities that don’t serve you is empowering and a great way to recharge. I’m not saying to be selfish and never do things for others, but just be mindful of your own health as well.
There will be times where you have to put others before your own self-care, but just remember that if your mental or physical health is not at its best, no one is going to benefit from your help.
If you don’t want to go out on a Friday night, then don’t. If you don’t want to volunteer for 7,245 extracurricular activities because you think it looks good, please do not. Give yourself a break and don’t be afraid to say no. Self-care is not selfish, self-care is the best thing that you can do for yourself in order to give your best self to others.
I hope this helps you find what brings you joy and what your best forms of self-care are. Take some time to brainstorm what activities make you feel good, and write them down.
Make a list of at least 5 activities you can do every day that you know will make you feel wonderful. Having a visible list that you can look at to remind you to take care of yourself is a game-changer.
Once you have your list, block out some time to do these activities and see how you feel afterward. I guarantee you will feel recharged, rejuvenated, and ready to take on the world.
xoxo
