What is Self-Care? (And 11 Fun, Useful Ideas for Self-Care Sunday)
What is self-care? What does it really mean to take care of yourself and your health? What does self-care actually mean?
There are only thousands of articles and books explaining all the different ways that we define self-care. But I will put it simply here in this blog post.
Self-care is prioritizing your own mental, emotional, and physical health amidst your busy life. You may have many obligations, a job, and a long list of to-do items. But self-care makes sure that we don’t neglect ourselves. And self-care can look different for each and every one of us.
Taking care of yourself isn’t narcissistic either. Without self-care, you run the risk of crashing and burning out.
What is burnout?
Have you ever worked so much or focused on a project for so long that you become mentally exhausted? Emotionally exhausted? You lose motivation? You lose that sense of accomplishment?
Mayo Clinic has a comprehensive webpage all about job burnout, why it happens, how to identify it, and how to address it. Self-care is one of the ways you can prevent or address burnout.
Stress & Anxiety
We all experience stress and anxiety every one in a while. For some of us, it’s more often. Self-care is a key way to cope with daily stress and help us keep up with everything we have to get done. With technology and competing interests for our time, it’s easy to become anxious and overwhelmed. Self-care means acting deliberately and thoughtfully to counteract stressful emotions.
How do I start? Incorporating self-care habits
It might take a few days, even a few weeks to start a new routine or habit. You’ll be successful if you start small. Try one new habit that you enjoy and add it to your weekly routine. If it works, keep doing it. Once you feel you can add more new habits, keep going!
Ideas for Self-Care Sunday
Every person will have their own outlook on what self-care means to them and what it looks like in their own life. Check out our list of 11 Self-Care Sunday Ideas (clarification: not just for Sundays!).
– Connect with your body. Whether you’re a runner, active walker, or couch potato, doing something physical can help you feel better during stressful times. You don’t have to run a marathon either. Start with a walk around the block to get fresh air and blood pumping.
– Get enough sleep. Seems basic, but so many of us stay up late either watching tv, on our phones, or staring at the ceiling. Experiment with different bedtime habits to see what helps you sleep. When I didn’t sleep well for 3 nights in a row, I made sure to drink a bedtime tea and I slept like a baby on the fourth night.
– Cook yourself a balanced meal (or cookies, depends on the mood). This is a big one in my opinion. I used to dislike cooking. It was too much work. But when I started thinking about it as part of my self-care routine, I started doing it more often and actually enjoyed it. Don’t get me wrong. I am still cooking simple meals in 30 minutes or less, but it’s always still delicious. Check out Minimalist Baker for quick meals. The last couple of weeks, I have been a big fan of these No-Bake Energy Balls.
– Incorporate emotional wellness into your life. For example, you can learn about stress-management tools, mindfulness, yoga, or tai chi. I added daily meditation to my routine and it has helped me manage my anxiety during stressful times. I personally recommend the Headspace app!
A few other ideas that could help:
– Keep a reflective journal. Gratitude journal. Adult coloring book.
– Start a fun hobby that you enjoy.
– Turn off your work phone and email during off-hours.
– Paint your nails and put on a face mask while you drink your bedtime tea.
– Start a book club with a good friend.
– Practice compassion towards yourself.
– Do something you love like share a coffee with a friend or see a movie.
If you’re in need of mental health resources, check out VeryWellMind’s National Helpline Database.
