July 24th is international self-care day. It is all too easy to disregard our personal needs when juggling work, home life, social activities, and other obligations. Even if we enjoy doing those other pursuits, many of us have certainly experienced burnout at some point. Often, all we need to do is make space for ourselves. Self-care is a broad word that encompasses everything you do intentionally to improve your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. As basic as it may seem, many people pay little attention to self-care, despite the fact that it might have an impact on our mental health. Because everyone has mental health, self-care isn’t just for individuals who suffer from mental illnesses. It is critical to take time for ourselves to renew and rejuvenate so that we can feel and perform at our best. Self-care can look different for each person, as many of us live different lifestyles, but that doesn’t mean that self-care is any less important, and should not be treated as a luxury, where it is actually a necessity. In this blog we will leave you with a few ideas to get going on putting yourself, and your health, first.
Leave the house
Your home is often your comfort zone, which is completely normal, and completely okay. Although you may rather to lay in bed or sit on the couch, try to connect with nature by going for a walk, or even doing a task that involves you getting up and getting out, such as groceries or other errands. By getting out of the house, you may feel more happy with yourself as to accomplishing more throughout the day, or getting more energy.
Learn to say “no”
Yes, it is time to say no. When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, or even catch yourself having the “ah, finally” moment, and someone asks you to do something that would put strain on yourself, mentally, emotionally, or physically, it is okay to say no. This doesn’t have to be executed in a rude way, but rather a way that is respectful, such as “I apologize but I won’t be able to take this on at the moment, as I already have so much on my plate.” Overwhelming yourself will only create more negativity in your mindset, and take away any time that you may have for yourself. Also, try to keep work within work hours by not checking your emails when you get home, or stressing about what you have to accomplish for the next day.
Disconnect
It’s pretty easy to finally take time to yourself on the couch, scrolling through social media, or even turning on the TV and “calling it a day”, but realistically, self-care is directed at connecting with yourself, your body, and your mind. When you scroll through social media for long enough, you push aside your thoughts, feelings, and emotions, rather than finding peace with how you are feeling overall. Take time to put down all electronics and connect with yourself, whether it be a shower, doing laundry, or reading a book.
Consume healthy foods
When most people think about self-care and eating habits, they think about ‘treating themselves’ in terms of having unhealthy snacks and treats, where in reality, self-care and food relate more to the healthy foods that you should be consuming. When your body is provided with the right nutrients, and a good amounts of them, your mood will improve more often than not, and you will find yourself more energized and eager to perform throughout the day.
It’s so important to take care of your mental health and to keep yourself in good spirits. Finding time to yourself to practice self-care is essential, even if self-care means different things for everyone, where as some would consider self-care to be a nature walk, another may consider it to be having a bubble bath and listening to your favourite music. Either way, self-care should be practice as much as possible to help you mentally, physically, and emotionally. We know that it can be hard to find time for self-care, but we hope this blog inspires you to take care of yourself, because after all, you’re worth it!
The information provided in this blog is not professional medical advice and should not be taken as such. If you find yourself or someone around you that needs assistance, please seek help from a local medical professional.
