Self Care: Are you doing it right?
Nowadays, self-care and self-love have become the new hot topic. It is everywhere you look around. People go ballistics for meditation apps, life coaches and take self-care tips from trends of social media. So what exactly is self-care? Is it self-love? Self-indulgence? As of now, there are three types of people while following self-care.
The first type is someone who has no idea what self-care is, i.e. it is on the bottom of their To-do list and acts as a task to complete. The second type of people, are hugely pressurised about the importance of self-care that they give in to the demand, i.e. they try to keep up with the revolutionary trends of social media. Both cases lead to stressful situations and dictate these people to follow self-care as a compulsion instead of a necessity.
The third kind of people is salient. They consciously know the benefits of self-care, the detriments of negligence towards self-care and the relationship of self-care with wellness. So what are the things that these people are following or avoiding? What are the rules of self-care? Is self-care for everyone?
Well, before we answer all these questions. Let us understand what self-care is? At its core, self-care is about action towards things, situations and people who bring joy to you. It is a practice of protecting your well-being, happiness and knowing when to decompress via balance. So there are no rules for self-care but acts that can help you achieve an integrated sense of taking care of yourself.
Yes! Self-care is for everyone. It universally benefits ones mental, physical and emotional health. For example, it boosts self-esteem, reduces stress, protects your mental well-being and leads to healthier relationships. In simple terms, self-care refers to individuals taking charge of aspects of their overall health. Here are self-care tips that we recommend you follow and avoid.
1. One person self-care is not necessarily another-
Do not try to copy someone else's routine for self-care. There is a lot of individuality and uniqueness in how each one of us sees self-care. It requires healthy daily habits that take time and consistency to develop. For someone, certain self-care acts will work wonders while they can work the opposite for another. We are unique in our self hence, our perspective, approach and actions of self-care will differ.
So how do we decide what works for us or what does not work for us?
Experiment! Experiment! Experiment! Think of self-care as a spectrum where the most basic self-care practices are not about indulgence but meeting your needs. Self-care is something vital that requires consistency and practice. Do not procrastinate self-care. It is paying your bills, dragging yourself to the gym and cooking for yourself instead of ordering every day. It is about finding what works for you by trying different things and fulfilling your needs.
2. Guilt to follow self-care will sabotage it-
Various coaches on social media recommend certain activities such as yoga, meditation for your self-care. Due to a sense of guilt to achieve these activities by people, they put it on a sizeable to-do list. However, it amplifies the stress to complete one more additional task and gives a sense of failure if not achieved. Self- Care is integration within your daily life as a habit and not an addition to it. It is not an occasional pamper treat and not a to-do list.
Sometimes doing the right thing and enjoying something are two separate scenarios. For example, if certain feel-good activities such as an everyday afternoon shopping spree can lead to negative consequences like debt. It is not authentic self-care when you feel your responsibility shrinking and unhealthy self-indulgence increases.
Lastly, don't believe self-care to be a solitary pursuit. Humans are creatures of connection. The prime relation a human can have is with oneself, where self-care comes in. However, self-care is a partnership between self-responsibility and support from family, friends, professionals and our community. Sometimes it is about knowing when to get help.
Few self-care tips that works universally for everyone-
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Understand the importance of self-care and its true essence
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Create new behaviours through experiment that works for you and only you
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Integrate these micro habits into your daily life
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Have a work-life balance
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Engage with a non-work hobby
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Maintain a healthy sleep routine
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Seek professional help if required
