The following self-care article was written by Tieara LeeAnn for CEO in Her.
Self-Care . . .
Contrary to what many people think, self-care isn’t selfish. It’s about prioritizing your needs and taking care of yourself for your physical and mental well-being. To say the past year has been challenging would be an understatement; it’s now more important than ever to take care of yourself.
When you think of self-care, does your mind automatically goes to a spa day? Self-care is much more than that; it entails taking care of everything, including your nutrition, hygiene, and medical needs. Practicing self-care is crucial for several reasons. Here’s why you need to prioritize it today:
1. Helps Boost Self-Esteem
Focusing on your physical and mental well-being results in positivity, which boosts your self-esteem and confidence. Self-care practices often revolve around activities designed to make you feel good, whether it’s practicing yoga every day or aiming for a healthy diet.
You’ll find that the more you practice self-care, the better you’ll feel. This automatically makes you want to engage in these activities more, allowing you to realize that you deserve to feel good, boosting your confidence in the long run.
2. Improves Mental Health
Prioritizing caring for yourself, specifically your mental health, can help you manage life’s issues and prevent them from worsening. While self-care is in no way a substitute for professional help, it does help make things easier.
In fact, talking to someone as part of your routine can also improve your mental health. During your busy days, you have something to look forward to in the form of your self-care routine, boosting your mood.
3. Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Self-care is all about taking it easy and relaxing. Activities such as practicing yoga, listening to music, or taking a warm bath can help reduce overall stress and anxiety levels. In addition, these activities help you blow off steam at the end of a hectic day.
Lower stress and anxiety levels automatically result in other benefits, including higher productivity and sharper focus.
4. Better Relationships With Others
Naturally, the healthier and happier you are and feel, the more energy you have to invest in your relationships. This is even more important if you’re a parent, because unless your needs are taken care of, it’ll be challenging to take time and effort to care for someone else’s needs.
When you start practicing self-care, your capacity for others will increase, and you’ll want to give more to your relationships too.
Final Thoughts
There are no hard-and-fast rules to self-care; you need to do what makes you feel good. While it initially can be tricky to figure out what makes you feel good, once you know, it’ll boost your emotional and physical health like nothing else.
Article written by Tieara LeeAnn. Follow her on Instagram at @tiearaleeann.