Self-care: Why it’s important and how to practice it
5 misconceptions to avoid and 5 ways to implement self-care
Text: Rachel L
Often neglected, judged, or tossed aside, self-care is an essential part of our lives that has been left on the back burner for too long and has only been brought to the forefront over recent years. With exhaustion and mental fatigue at an all time high with another lockdown and International Self Care day around the corner, we look at self-care’s importance by debunking 5 common myths surrounding it and provide suggestions that you can implement immediately to start or elevate your self-care journey.
Self-care’s 5 greatest myths
1. Self-care is selfish
A common argument heard against self-care is that its orientation around the individual’s needs and desires is self-obsessed and egotistic. Yet, self-care does not involve a self-centric lifestyle devoid of compassion and caring for others. Instead, it ensures that you are fully capable, emotionally, mentally, and physically, of taking care of others by making sure your needs are met first. After all, how can an empty glass be expected to fill others?
2. Self-care means self-improvement
Known to reduce stress and raise the quality of life, self-care definitely brings significant improvements to our lives. However, it is usually approached from a perfectionist mindset where individuals implement self-care with the intention of fixing their flaws. Self-care coach, Gracy Obuchowicz explained to Healthline that prevalent demanding standards in the self-improvement industry for example — diet and weight management — are often replicated in attitudes towards self-care. This, unfortunately, results in individuals spiraling in shame when they fail to meet their personal targets or goals, causing self-care to be associated with failure and discouragement. The truth, however, is that self-care is meant to produce the opposite in people! Meant to be a nurturing experience that refreshes and rejuvenates, self-care focuses on tending to and celebrating the individual we are now rather than pursuing our dream future self.
3. Self-care is not a priority
Often regarded as a luxury rather than a necessity, many have admitted that self-care is the first thing to buckle beneath the weight of time constraints, heavy workloads, or other stressors. However, self-care serves as a safeguard for our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. More than just bubble baths and pedicures, it allows us to slow down and focus on what is truly important amidst the whirlwind of life. Instead of being complicated and time-consuming, it includes simple practices such as scheduling a daily run to boost your fitness or taking time out to meditate. Hence, we would argue that self-care is actually essential for us to remain healthy and keep our sanity.
4. Self-care gets confused with ‘me-time’
An hour-long scroll through the endless pits of social media or knocking back a drink could be what some consider their form of self-care or ‘me time’. After all, such activities provide a temporary relief where we can disengage mentally and emotionally from our lives and the worries that come along with them. However, self-care, in reality, is a much more proactive response that helps us to process the things that we are disassociating from, offering a long-term solution rather than a short-term fix. When approaching it, try to implement habits that will place you in a better position to face your fears and problems, rather than ones that will only provide distraction.
5. Self-care requires big bucks
A term we often associate with an elaborate skincare routine or a massage session self-care has left the impression of being a pricey affair. On the contrary, incorporating self-care into your daily routine doesn’t have to cost a thing and our 5 suggestions below will show you ways you can build a self-care routine without splashing the cash.
5 self-care suggestions
1. Give your best hours to yourself
Looking after your mental and emotional health is an essential component of self-care. Dr Groppel, co-author of “The Corporate Athlete: How to Achieve Maximal Performance in Business and Life” often has his clients lay out their entire day from dawn to bedtime. He then has them pinpoint the window of time (1-2 hours) that they feel the best and suggests they allot it to themselves instead of anything else. This isn’t a call to take a two-hour break from life but rather an invitation to prioritise your needs instead of anyone else’s in this frame of time. You can use the time to pursue a subject of interest, spend time with friends and family or meditate.
2. Start a morning and night routine
Mornings can be a haze — stumbling out of bed, scrambling to get ready, braving crazy traffic, and amidst the chaos or drudgery, you find that your day has inevitably started. The night can be less than pleasant as well as emotions and worries from the day tend to linger, affecting precious sleep and rest. To start and end well daily, many have found incorporating morning and night routines helpful in getting them into the right mindset to begin and finish every day. This could be as simple as integrating 15 minutes of stretching into your mornings or involve something fancier such as pampering yourself with a candle-lit bath in the evening. Given our varying schedules, interests, and needs, self-care routines look different from person to person- take time to evaluate your time, resources and build your routine on what works best for you.
3. Don’t compromise physical wellbeing
Apart from mental and emotional health, caring for our body is also an integral part of self-care. For some, sleep, proper nutrition, and exercise are some of the first things to go when the stress kicks in or the deadlines pile up. However, such sacrifices can have serious consequences for your health both in the short and long run. Given that our physical health is the bedrock on which our functionality and life rest, neglecting it in favour of seemingly more urgent demands might not be the wisest decision. Being able to remain active, get sufficient sleep, and eat healthily all at once might seem like a wild fantasy in this roller-coaster of a world and it is true that change won’t happen overnight. However, implementing certain systems and routines in your life, such as meal preparation and booking a gym session, can go a long way in helping you stick to improved self-care.
4. Invest in yourself
Besides giving yourself the best of your time, nurturing the best version of yourself requires dedicating resources towards your own personal growth. This could involve developing your skills by building upon your education, learning to read widely or tapping into available training. It could also mean equipping yourself with the means to explore your creative side and interests. Take a Masterclass, buy some art tools and create something or get a new camera to explore the outside world through photography. Don’t stinge on any chance to further develop yourself, you never know how it might change you.
5. Connect with others (but also say no to FOMO)
As social creatures, building and maintaining relationships are integral to our overall wellbeing. Regardless of age, personality, or background, everyone needs people to laugh with during the good times and lean on during the tough seasons. Though the ongoing pandemic has radically altered the way we interact and meet, opportunities to connect with our loved ones are far from rare. Ring up an old friend, share a meal with your family or get the gang back together for a Zoom party- don’t be afraid to get creative and take the step to initiate meet-ups and get-togethers. However, while the need for human interaction and strong social bonds is undeniable, everyone also needs time to step away from the social scene and have a little “me-time”. In an age where parties, events, and gatherings are often chronicled on social media, the fear of missing out can get intense. Yet it is important to remember that what we truly need are authentic, healthy relationships rather than inserting ourselves into every hangout. Instead of letting FOMO cripple and control your life, take the time to eliminate social activities aren’t truly meaningful and use the time in between what’s left to relax and recharge.
