International Self-Care Day: A reminder to prioritize self-wellness

We often hear about the importance of ‘self-care.’ Whether it be in the context of carving time to exercise, meditate, read, relax, and attain sleep. But what does the term, ‘self-care’ really mean?

According to Wikipedia, ‘self-care’ is defined as the process of establishing personal behaviors to ensure holistic well-being of oneself to promote health, wellness, and actively manage illness when it occurs.

Simply put, self-care is any activity that promotes our physical, mental, and emotional health. Though a simple concept in theory, it is something we often overlook. Applying self-care disciplines can be one key to improving mood and reducing anxiety while feeling positive about ourselves as well as our relationships with others.

With International Self-Care Day celebrated this month, on July 24, this column was the perfect opportunity to discuss the importance of self-care in our daily lives.

As an active, working, mother of four children, with a husband, aging parents, along with three dogs and two cats, I often overlook my self-care, especially while managing an extensive travel schedule. I find myself so busy taking care of others, I am not always focused on taking care of my wellbeing.

International Self-Care Day reminds us to take care of ourselves first while educating us on the ‘act of self-care’ being the cornerstone of wellness. It is stressed that self-care should be a daily priority while equipping our thoughts and actions with the necessary skills for effective self-management of good health.

Dr. Christina Rahm

It is important to note, the lack of self-care can often lead to self-neglect. Further, neglecting one’s self-care can lead to irritability; dominoing into additional stress, which can strain relationships with children, loved ones, and even colleagues. As we know, chronic stress can take a toll on our physical, mental, emotional, and psychological health.

The notion of self-care has been around for a long time, but it has recently received extra attention due to its emphasis on wellness. Basic concepts include following a healthy diet, exercising for good cardiac health, weight training for strength, and detoxing to rid our bodies of toxins—while developing disease-prevention strategies. But that is just a start.

From a physical self-care perspective, choosing activities that help you stay physically strong for work and personal commitments is important.

Develop a regular sleep routine.
Eat healthy, regular meals, and stay hydrated.
Use your vacation days to get rest.
Exercise before or after work regularly; attaining 30 minutes of walking daily can boost your mood.

In terms of psychological self-care, choose activities which help you intellectually engage and overcome challenges required in both work and personal life.

Keep a reflective journal.
Engage with a non-work hobby.
If possible, do not check work e-mails outside of work hours.
Schedule relaxation time.
Engage with close, supportive, friends and family.
Set goals and priorities, daily.

When it comes to emotional self-care, make sure to develop supportive friendships. Other ideas include:

Journaling three good things that happen each day.
Play a sport you enjoy.
Go to the movies.
Communicate with friends about how you are balancing work/life demands.
Try a relaxing activity.
Focus on the positive.

And finally, when it comes to professional self-care, some steps can support the workplace environment. For example:

Engage in consultation with more experienced colleagues.
Be strict with boundaries between clients/students and colleagues.
Read professional journals.
Attend professional development programs.

As the saying goes, “You can’t take care of other people unless you first take care of yourself.” So, before you focus on others, whether it be the kids, the husband, the in-laws, or those beloved animals, be sure to be good to yourself, and the rest will fall into place. Finally, it is important to remember that self-care is not to be considered selfish. Self-care is an act of self-growth and self-preservation in which we all must learn to actively prioritize.

For more information on self-care initiatives, go to www.verywellmind.com/self-care-strategies-overall-stress-reduction-3144729

If you are looking for personal inspiration, check out my book; “Be Your Own Inspiration,” which launched earlier this year, and part of our ‘Cure The Causes’ series on self-help initiatives; https://www.amazon.com/Be-Your-Own-Inspiration-Causes/dp/1662934297