September is when we enjoy the last days of summer. The last days of warm temps, spending time outside, carefree attitudes and summer vacation.
After spending so much time outdoors it’s time for self-reflection. To tuck the casual attitude away and get serious about self-care. Self-care is important, yet it’s something that we so often neglect.
September brings with it Labor Day, Grandparents Day, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, to name a few. But it’s also known as Self-Care Awareness Month and reminds us to take the time to take care of ourselves. Because after all we’re important too.
What is Self-Care?
Self-care has been defined as the process of establishing behaviors to ensure holistic well-being of oneself, to promote health, and actively manage illness when it occurs.
Individuals engage in some form of self-care daily with food choices, exercise, sleep, reading and dental care.
Why It’s Important
Self-care is important for your overall health. For one thing, it aides in you feeling your best and enhances your quality of life.
Meaning you’re going to make sure to eat food that’s healthy and good for your total body.
Doing this help you to help others and to accomplish all that you’d like to in the run of a day.
Helps to Cope with Daily Stressors
Paula Gill Lopez, PhD, an associate professor in the department of psychological and educational consultation at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, says the need for self-care is obvious. “We have an epidemic of anxiety and depression,” she says. “Everybody feels it.” When it comes to mental health, self-care can help people manage stress, lower their risk of illness and increase energy levels.
Kelsey Patel, a Los Angeles-based wellness expert, says self-care is part of the answer to how we can all better cope with daily stressors. “People are feeling lonelier and less able to unwind and slowdown, which makes them feel more anxious and overwhelmed by even the simplest tasks,” Patel says.
Self-care is not an Indulgence. It’s a Discipline
It requires tough mindedness, a deep and personal understanding of your priorities, and respect for both yourself and the people you choose to spend your life with.
It’s also a discipline because it’s not something you do once in awhile when the world gets crazy. It’s what you do every day, every week, month in and month out.
Practicing self-care
Committing to a healthy relationship with yourself is very important for a full and satisfying life.
In order to restore balance we must take better care of ourselves. Consider these four suggestions to practice and maintain self-care.
4 Tips for Practicing Self-Care
NUTRITION – Good nutrition is key to both your physical and mental health! The CDC reports that people who practice healthy eating “live longer and are less likely to develop serious health problems such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and obesity.” Proper nutrition can be used to manage chronic conditions as well.
HYDRATION – Drinking enough water is an essential step toward better self-care. We all know we need to stay hydrated, yet it often falls by the wayside. In fact more than half of adults in the US don’t drink enough water.
MOVEMENT– Physical activity is not only a vital part of our well-being, but also a wonderful way to engender joy and build resilience. Exercise produces “feel-good” chemicals-endorphins-in your brain. Staying active improves your mental health by reducing anxiety and depression and boosting your mood and self-esteem.
REST – In our busy world rest can be hard to slow down for. But it’s one thing that will greatly benefit your physical, mental, and emotional health. Whether you’re sleeping, meditating or taking a relaxing bubble bath, rest is essential for healing.
Self-Care is What You Need
Hopefully this has inspired you to make that change for yourself if you haven’t already. You must take care of yourself on a regular in order to stay healthy and restore balance.
Gracy Obuchowicz, self-care coach, says self-care allows you to have a nurturing experience of life right now as opposed to when you work harder in the future.
So set your priorities, stick with them and make it a regular practice. You can only get better.
| 1 Corinthians 3:1616 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? |
