Self care is one of those things that can be misunderstood. Some people think that self care is optional, while others don’t know the difference between healthy self care and unhealthy self care. Can there be such a thing as unhealthy self care? And how can we find the right balance to look after ourselves?
Taking Time Out For Yourself
One of the most important facets of self care is to take the opportunity to have some time just for yourself. This is absolutely essential for your mental and physical health.
People who have a stressful job or a lot of responsibilities in their day-to-day life often find it difficult to take some time out for themselves. While you might tell yourself that you’re too busy for self care, this attitude simply isn’t sustainable. In a lot of cases, it can lead to burnout. Caregiver burnout is especially common and concerning, because you’re so busy taking care of other people that you put yourself last.
Unfortunately, when you burn out, you end up too exhausted to look after anyone. It can take much longer to recover from burnout than it would have to simply carve out little pieces of your day to give your body and mind a chance to recover and rest.
The good news is that the amount of time that you take out of your schedule can and should vary. It’s okay to have busy days, as long as you have at least some rest days and chances to chill out a bit.
If you work according to a schedule, one of the best things you can do is to schedule in breaks now and then. Even a fifteen minute break is better than nothing.
You might think that a short break like this will just waste your time and throw you off a productive streak, but it can actually make you more productive. Take a minute, stretch and walk around if you’re working at a desk. If you’re on your feet, sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and do something quick and refreshing. This might be to read a chapter of a book or even play something like mahjong online.
The important thing is that you have scheduled uninterrupted time to do what you want.
While these short breaks are important, it’s also good to have some self care days, weekends, or longer periods in the day so that you can focus on your needs.
Understanding Your Needs
So far we’ve discussed the importance of actually taking time out for self care, but what about catering your self care to meet your needs?
The only way that you can do this is by defining your needs in the first place.
Sometimes what you need most is rest. But some people make the mistake of thinking that self care only consists of having a duvet day and eating whatever you want all day. Now and then, there’s nothing wrong with this, but if this is the only way that you’re taking care of yourself, you’re no longer engaging in healthy self care.
Self care is about preventing exhaustion and, if you’re already exhausted, giving yourself a chance to recover. There are three ways that you can be exhausted and this will determine what your self care consists of.
If you’re mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, rest might be the perfect thing for you.
But in some cases, your body needs a pick-me-up rather than a chill out day. While this isn’t relaxing, it is the best thing for your body. You should also think about what you eat and drink. If you have a mysterious headache, the first option should always be to drink a glass of water and close your eyes for about 30 seconds. Dehydration and eye strain are both very common causes of headaches and are easy to solve.
Understanding your needs follows this principle. Try the easy things first, then put more thought into it. Self care can be something relaxing, something you enjoy, or even something that is just good for you.
Indulging Yourself
Let’s tackle the relaxation side of self care to start with. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a bit of self indulgence, especially if you have left it for too long. This is the most common thing that people think about when they plan a self care day.
If you have a bath at home, you can have a mini self care session by giving yourself a couple of hours to completely relax. As well as the nice hot water, try to pair it with bath oils, salts, and other additions that can turn the bathwater into a mini spa. Pair with candles, a drink of something delicious, whether it’s tea or a glass of wine, and some soothing music.
All of this is an inexpensive way to truly relax your body and take your mind off whatever else might be going on in your life.
If you have more time and money, why not indulge yourself in a spa day? While a bath can be incredibly relaxing, it isn’t the only option and a true spa experience adds even more. This might involve aromatherapy, a massage, a sauna, a steam room, a hot tub, and other treatments and things to do to truly relax. This is an opportunity to pamper yourself so you look and feel more like yourself.
What if spa days aren’t your thing? Well, there are other great ways to indulge yourself.
Sometimes self indulgence means giving yourself time to engage in a hobby that normally goes neglected. Do you love art and drawing? Well, take a day to really focus on your art and work on a project. Do you enjoy gaming? Schedule a marathon gaming session.
Of course, balance is key. Constantly indulging your wants might seem great at the time, but not when it comes at the cost of neglecting your needs.
Exercise as Self Care
When you’re a parent, you’re responsible for caring for your child. A good parent doesn’t just indulge their child’s every whim while neglecting the things they need. They also make sure that their child gets the right amount of sleep, that they eat the right things, and that they are safe and educated.
When you’re engaging in self care, think of yourself as that child. Yes, you want to meet your wants, but your needs are even more important.
This is why exercise should be such an integral part of your self care routine. Even if you don’t like exercise, you can’t deny that it’s good for you. While it might not seem like a treat at the time, exercise is so important for your physical and mental health, and it can be a great change of pace.
Besides, you might even start to enjoy it.
There are loads of different ways that you can exercise as part of your self care routine. One excellent way is to go for walks in nature. Depending on where you live, you might be able to leave your house and go for a quick walk when you want to clear your head. Walking in nature is a great way to help your mental health and it’s a fairly easy cardiovascular exercise.
If you want to blow off some steam, working out in a gym and strength training might be a good option for you. As you reach your goals and get stronger, you feel better physically and mentally.
Or you might enjoy the idea of playing sports or getting into a specific athletic field. As you get better and have fun, you might turn something you were once unwilling to do into a treat.
Social Self Care
While a lot of self care comes down to taking time for yourself and being alone, there’s something to be said for social self care. Humans need social interaction to be healthy, and social self care means prioritising this part of your life as a need as much as a want.
This can be as simple as going for coffee with a friend or a few friends, or having a night out. Simply chatting can do a world of good, especially if the rest of your life is focused around looking after other people and taking on responsibilities.
You can talk to your friends about things that are bothering you or simply have fun and forget about them.
Finding A Balance
Another important step to good self care is making things simple for yourself. There’s no need to overcomplicate your self care methods, as long as you’re able to find a balance.
Make sure you have some time to yourself every day, even if it’s just an hour or so broken up into small chunks. Give yourself larger chunks of time every week, every month, and so on. This will help you find a balance between your needs and your responsibilities.
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HEY! Thanks for dropping by. xo KB