What is Self-Care?

An Introduction to the Meaning and Examples of Self-Care

In today’s society, it is easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of busyness and lose sight of taking care of yourself first. It’s a damn shame too because taking time to take care of yourself on a daily basis isn’t always a selfless act. In fact, acting in your own best interest often benefits those around you as well. In this article, we will explore some examples of how one can incorporate self-care into one’s lifestyle.

To start with, self-care is a process. It’s a thing you do, not a destination you arrive at. It’s a way of being in the world. And if we’re going to take it seriously, we need to talk about why it matters and what it means. The answers will be different for everyone. It starts with the realization that no one else can really take care of you. You can get help from other people, but they don’t live in your skin. They don’t know what it’s like to be you, and they can never really understand what it’s like to be you.

So the first step in self-care is taking responsibility for yourself: figuring out what you need and then doing your best to meet those needs. “Your best” doesn’t have to be perfect or amazing or even good; it just has to be the best you can manage when you’re paying attention. If that sounds overly simple, remember that self-care isn’t complicated; most of us just get too caught up in our lives to bother practicing it very much.

For some people, self-care might mean spending time alone to recharge. For others self-care might include spending time with friends and family to be seen and heard. For some self-care might simply be having something to look forward to at the end of the day (even if it’s only watching TV). For others, it could mean finding a way to make work more meaningful or enjoyable.

There are other ways of taking care of yourself, and what works for one person might not work for another. But the activities below (often known as self-care) are considered helpful by most people.

Physical Self-Care

* Being aware of your body’s needs, such as thirst, hunger, tiredness, or pain; and taking steps to fulfill those needs. 

* Doing things that relax you, such as going for a walk in the park or listening to music. 

* Learning to recognize when you are tired or stressed and changing your behavior to reduce your stress level. 

* Getting enough sleep every night.

Mental Self-Care

* Learning how to make decisions without feeling guilty. 

* Remind yourself that you have strengths and weaknesses just like everyone else. 

* Understanding that negative thoughts can be harmful and working on changing them into positive ones. 

* Being open with other people about your problems and feelings, even when it is difficult or embarrassing.

* Finding a hobby you enjoy so you have something fun to do in the spare time that might otherwise be spent thinking about your problems.