SELF CARE

When was the last time you thought of taking some time off for yourself and not just chase the targets but were unable to do so?

Self-care is a broad term that consists of everything you to do be good to yourself. It’s about being as kind to yourself as you would be to others. It’s about knowing when your energy is going to get exhausted, and stopping and try to replenish it.

But not everything that makes you feel content is self-care. Destructive habits like drugs, alcohol, smoking can harm you more. These self-destructive activities give temporary solution but permanent problems.

When practiced regularly, self-care has long-term benefit for the mind, the body and soul.

Why taking care of yourself is important?

• Better productivity: When you learn how to say “no” to thoughts that burn out your energy and start making time for things that matter more, you are helping yourself. This brings you to focus on your goals more.
• Better physical health: With better self-care often comes strong immunity system. Less stress can help you feel physically able and strong.
• Boost in self-esteem: When you spend time for yourself and for your own happiness, you send a positive out positive vibe. Specifically, you treat yourself like you are important. This can go a long way toward correcting negative thoughts.
• Increased self-knowledge: Practicing self-care requires you to think about your likes and dislikes. Figuring out what makes you happy and refreshed gives an insight about yourself.
• Compassion towards others: When you’re good to yourself, you might think you’re being self-centred but that is far from the truth. In reality, self-care helps you to be kind to others.

Steps to follow for self-care:

• Sleep

Most people need around 7-8 hour of quality sleep to function, so this should be a given importance. The body not only needs sleep to regenerate and create energy but it’s also processing everything that has happened that day. Our capacity to manage our emotions dramatically decreases when we’re not getting enough sleep.

·       Have a healthy diet:

Your diet is all about balance. Aiming to eat healthily is not just about trying to lose weight. It’s about listening to your body and taking appropriate care of your body.

Crash diets might look good and make you feel good about yourself but in the long run it will only harm your body. If you listen to what your body wants, most of the time it will be craving nutritious, vitamin rich foods

 

 

·       Spend time with your loved ones:

As human is a social animal it’s important to spend time with loved ones, as isolation can impact your mental health. But be careful of people with whom you spend time with.

You should ensure your friends are bringing a positive energy. Try maintaining relations with your people.

 

·       Take a break from work:

Whilst technology has made our lives easy, it comes with its own set of problems. We ned to do office work even if we are not in the office.

·       Exercise regularly

The benefits of physical activity have been known to us for ages. In recent years the positive impact it has on our mental health has come to everyone’s notice.

30 minutes of physical activity a day is enough to get a fit and healthy body and mind.

Anish was not happy with his life. Everything was going according to his plan. He had a stable job with a handsome salary and a friend circle he could hang out with. But still something was missing. No one from the outside could point out what was wrong. Anish had to book an appointment with a psychiatrist because he wanted to find a way out. After hearing Ashish out the psychiatrist came to a conclusion that Ashish was having everything but was not valuing and appreciating what he was having. The psychiatrist suggested him to indulge in some me time.

Above everything, never forget that self-care is personal. While some might enjoy a weekend away with friends, others might love to just sleep the whole day. What’s important is following a self-care regime. Find hobbies and activities you enjoy. Whether you find joy reading a book or going on a trek, know that the way you spend your me time is for you to decide. Remember that taking care of yourself is crucial.