What is self-care?
I was talking with a friend at lunch who commented recently she was sick and felt a sense of obligation to work when her body indicated she needed to rest. I remarked that she was neglecting self-care. She turned defensive and listed the various ways she put herself first. What she listed could be better categorized as self-indulgence- treating herself to nice meals, traveling, etc.
Afterward, it came to me as I reflected on our conversation that she isn’t the only one who uses self-indulgence and self-care interchangeably. When we think about self-care what comes to mind is indulgence, treating ourselves, pampering.
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” Oscar Wilde
Life is hectic and with everything we have completed for our time on our never-ending to-do list. Usually, self-care falls at the bottom of the list as we try to accommodate as much as we can into our busy schedule. We try to be everything to everybody and in multiple places at once. Resulting in us burned out, with nothing to give, running on fumes.
Our being (mind and body) is our greatest asset, without it we are powerless to do anything. And when one is out of whack, it negatively impacts the other.
For example, unmanaged anxiety can contribute to stomach problems. It has been documented that people with serious health problems also suffer from depression.
So what is self-care? According to Wikipedia self-care is all healthcare decisions people make for themselves and their families to ensure they are physically and mentally fit.
People who practice self-care demonstrate self-care maintenance behaviors such as illness prevention, illness behaviors, and proper hygiene.
Just as a car can’t go without fuel, we can’t, without self-care.
I hope this post has inspired you to put yourself at the top of your to-do list. What are 2 small changes you can make to make your mental and physical health a priority? If you are having trouble figuring that out, contact me. It would be a pleasure to help you sort it all out.