Do you feel tired, exhausted, or deflated? Then you’re not taking good care of yourself. A mindful life is aimed at reaching awareness of these fatigues and the limits of our body and mind. The importance of self-care also comes into play at this point. The expression “take care of yourself”, which is a phrase we use frequently in our daily vocabulary, actually carries a sincere wish, but do we take care of ourselves? Or does your day pass at a pace where you wake up with an alarm in the morning, rush to work, and keep yourself busy repeatedly? Self-care is not selfish or smug, and it is not an activity that cannot be timed for in our busy lives. So, what is self-care?
What is self-care?
Self-care can be defined as the skills that an individual applies to protect his/her well-being, health, and quality of life. As it is not the same for everyone, it is the work of understanding ourselves and determining our needs that have developed since childhood. Nowadays, self-care has become a very popular trend. This may cause you to be biased towards self-care, but we cannot mold life into a mold, and of course, self-care is something that everyone does according to their resources and preferences. You can make time too!
Overcoming Barriers to Self-Care
Most days we are very busy with our stressful jobs and technology that has started to consume us, and most of the time we do not know how to get rid of this stress. We start to get used to this stressful lifestyle and we continue our lives with useless “resting” forms that we put into practice without listening to ourselves. This situation is the main cause of health problems, unhappiness, and depression today, and the most basic solution is self-care.
“How do I start self-care; how can I manage to take time for myself?” The answer to the question is about understanding how fundamental self-care is. In its simplest form, the individual’s well-being and health go through adequate air, water, food intake, quality sleep, and rest. With these very simple steps, you can create your self-care routine. Of course, we are not talking about a routine that will leave the workforce while creating the routine. By focusing on your needs, you can take small steps to achieve balance. Research shows that very simple self-care activities have far more positive effects on our lives than we think.
This is why the importance of self-care is so fundamental and profound. As our self-care skills increase, a healthier and happier mind and body balance are established. To develop this skill, it is important to practice listening to ourselves and being aware of our state of mind and body at all times. As a result, self-care is also a tool in the adventure of finding oneself, being an individual, and standing firm on one’s feet. Although the perception of self-care has recently been dealt with in its physical context, self-care is generally related to both physical and emotional well-being and is generally divided into 5 categories:
Physical Self-Care
There is a very strong connection between the body and the mind. For your body to function, you need to take care of it, and as you take good care of it, your mind will begin to relax and dissolve the blockage caused by stress. Ask yourself these questions: Am I getting enough sleep, how well do I eat healthily, do I exercise enough, and can I balance physical activity and rest?
Mental Self-Care
Our mind may be the area we neglect the most, and it is the one that gets the most tired. We think we are resting our minds by watching TV or spending time on the phone doing nothing. It has purposes such as sharpening our mental self-care perception, finding inspiration for ourselves, and protecting our mental health. In addition to activities such as reading books, doing puzzles, watching movies, self-compassion, mindfulness practices, and meditation free our minds from the rust caused by routine activities.
Spiritual Self Care
The lifestyle to nourish the soul does not have to be religious and offers a healthier life according to scientific research. Discovering oneself, the joy within, seeking inner peace, searching for one’s identity and purpose in life, producing one’s meaning, and connecting with the universe… All of them are self-care. Ask yourself these questions: What does my experience bring me, what does it mean to me, what were the feelings that completed me today, what do I expect from tomorrow?
Meditation is a basic non-religious practice that reaches the soul and mind.
Social Self-Care
One of the biggest burdens of busy times is socializing. People are social beings and communication becomes a source of motivation for us throughout the day. Don’t neglect your relationships as much as possible, even during busy times. Making friends, establishing new relationships, and maintaining relationships is a job, so sometimes it is very difficult. However, when you give that energy, the energy will come back to you renewed. You can even find out if that relationship is healthy when you don’t return. Again, set aside time for social life for the time that suits you best. Make time to meet with family and friends, look for ways to strengthen your relationships.
Emotional Self-Care
Stress, anxiety, anger, jealousy, sadness… We experience many unsettling heavy emotions every day, and we are constantly traveling from one emotion to the next. Therefore, it is very important to deal with emotions, to understand and express them. Gaining the ability to examine our feelings in all areas of life is also necessary for the integration of self-care experience. Especially if you feel that you are experiencing an emotional blockage, you can choose to engage in activities in your spare time where you can express your feelings, you can share your feelings with your relatives, you should not hesitate to express your feelings.
Today is World Self Care Day! Start taking care of yourself today.
Sometimes we even feel guilty for taking time for ourselves. Never think like that. Keeping our thoughts healthy is also part of self-care and mindful living. When you take time for yourself, you will spend your remaining time more efficiently thanks to your renewed energy. That’s why we have to take care of ourselves every day and every moment, not just when we’re sick, so we don’t get sick, right? With self-care, we gain happiness, health and endurance. Instead of getting lost in the sea of stress for the hustle and bustle of modern life, take time for yourself today and every day from now on…
