What Is Self-Care And Why Is It So Important?

Self-care is a popular term these days, but it is still not adequately defined. Maybe you have seen it

listed in self-help books or magazine articles or have heard Instagram influencers telling you to

implement some self-care, but you still have no real idea of how you are supposed to apply it to

your life. It could seem a little 'airy-fairy' or ambiguous to you. Or, maybe, you are not convinced

that self-care is important and that actually, your time and energy are best saved for work and the

care of others.

So, just what is self-care, and why is it so important? Well, it is pretty difficult to define it as a

particular activity as there are so many, and like many things, there is no one size fits all solution.

However, here, we will look at what it is and why it is so important.   

Image credit: Pixabay CC0 License

What is self-care?

Self-care is a pretty vague term that covers just about everything you do that is about being good and

kind to yourself. We spend our lives caring for others and being kind to them, and the self-care

movement is about; recognizing when your reserves are running low and stepping back to fill them

up rather than letting them all drain away. After all, as the saying goes; 'you can't pour from an empty

cup'. 

It is important to remember, however, that not all that feels good is self-care. We may sometimes be

inclined to use unhealthy coping strategies such as narcotics, alcohol, over-eating, and generally risky

behavior. Such self-destructive behaviors may seem to help to control stressful feelings, but relief is

fleeting. If you feel like this is out of control, a womens rehab program may be the solution. Getting

your mental and physical health sorted and any destructive habits under control is probably the best

thing you can do for yourself in terms of self-care.

Why is self-care so beneficial?

Now we have a better idea of what self-care is, let’s take a look at just a few of the benefits that it can

bring you, both physically and mentally:

(1) Improved productivity. When you know how to say "no" to things that take too much out of you

and start finding time for things that matter the most, you slow down your life in a powerful way. This puts your aspirations into clear focus and lets you concentrate on what you are doing. 

(2) Enhanced resilience to illness. There is evidence that certain self-care behaviors can trigger

the parasympathetic nervous system.  Essentially, this means that your body is going into a

relaxing, restorative state, allowing it to improve its immune system and giving you better protection

against illness.

(3) Better self-esteem. If you frequently take time to focus on being nice to yourself and fulfilling

your own needs, you send a powerful message to your mind. Specifically, you recognize that

you matter and have an intrinsic value. It will go a long way towards avoiding negative self-talk. 

(4) Improved self-awareness. Practicing self-care means thinking about what you really want to do.

The process of figuring out what makes you feel excited and driven will help you understand

yourself a lot better. Sometimes this may also lead to a career change or a rediscovery of

previously neglected hobbies.

*contributed post*