Self-care is an important part of maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health. It can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve concentration, increase happiness, and even improve energy levels. Research suggests that self-care can promote positive health outcomes, such as building resilience, living longer, and being better equipped to manage stress. Taking time to take care of yourself can remind you and others that you and your needs are also important.
Having a well-groomed body can make you feel good about yourself and your life, and transmit to others that you value yourself. This can contribute to a sense of long-term well-being. Self-care can also improve your physical health by reducing stress and anxiety, increasing self-esteem, and helping you manage your emotions. Valuing yourself is one of the best things you can do through self-care.
Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical and mental health. When it comes to your mental health, self-care can help you manage stress, reduce the risk of illness, and increase your energy. Even small acts of self-care in daily life can have a big impact. While a healthy diet and exercise are the backbone of good physical health, self-care and pampering can trigger the relaxation response.
This encompasses the mental and the physical, and a self-care regimen should improve the way you feel in your body and mind. People who spend their time just caring for others can risk burning out, making it harder to care for others or themselves. Different people will adopt different self-care practices, and even their own definition may change over time. And while it's difficult to prioritize self-care activities, improving well-being is one of the best ways to support overall health, including physical, mental and emotional health.
An important part of self-care is committing to caring for your body and being more in tune with its needs. Candace Bond-Theriault says that her work in support of the rights of others like her has taught her how and why caring for herself is also important. If weekly manicures or monthly spa days are out of your reach, there are plenty of other personal care practices you can adopt. Simply making the bed in the morning probably isn't enough to take all your personal care into account, she says. If you want to improve your mental well-being, it's very important to spend time taking care of yourself both mentally and physically. If you don't know where to start, read the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) tip sheet for talking to your healthcare provider.
Once I implemented a regular self-care routine, I noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of sick days I had.
