What Self-Care Really Means

We have all heard that we need to practice self-care.  You can google self-care and find over 5 billion searches on self-care.  Everyone has their own thoughts and opinions on what self-care is.  But what is self-care and why is it important and how do you practice it?

According to the National Institute of Health, self-care means taking time to do things that help you live well and improve your physical and mental health.  Ultimately, the goal of self-care is to lower or manage your stress and anxiety, increase your energy, and lower your risk of illness.  Self-care can also boost your self-esteem and help you build better relationships.

Some may think self-care is selfish or choosing yourself over others.  Self-care is actually the opposite.  It is setting yourself up to be the best version of yourself that you can be.  It means accepting help when you need it and not overextending yourself by trying to impress people or “do it all”.  We all need help, and it can be good for your mental and physical health to ask for it.

Self-care is about nurturing yourself and your passions and honoring your mind, body, and spirit.  Everybody’s self-care will look different.  Giving yourself 5 minutes to 30 minutes a day to focus on yourself is imperative.  Self-care is caring about yourself and believing that you are enough and that you deserve to be treated kindly by you! 

There are many forms of self-care and countless ways you can find the self-care that works for you.  Here are some questions to ask yourself to find what kind of self-care you need. 

·      What feelings come up when you think about self-care?

·      What hesitations do you have about engaging in self-care?

·      What are some of your passions?

·      What have you been putting off that you really want to do?

·      Where do you find most of your stress comes from?

·      What brings you joy?

Sitting and being thoughtful while answering these questions can help guide you to what you need in your life.  If you still struggle with self-care you are not alone!  Don’t try and do this yourself and seek help from a trusted friend or counselor.  This may be the exact self-care that you need at this moment.