Self-care is an important aspect of leading a healthy life. It can look different for different people. People have busy lives and it can be hard to find time for self-care, but self-care does not have to be something big that takes an hour or more. Some find an activity such as a sport self-care, some people find meditation or journaling self-care, walks or being in nature can be important for some, and many other options.
Self-care can also look like eating right, getting enough sleep, and spiritual involvement. By doing self-care, it means you are able to maintain your mental wellbeing and that is not selfish. Finding a self-care activity is part of dealing with stress and when life gets overwhelming, having something you can go to for tension release can prevent the buildup of stress. Stress cannot only affect a person’s mental wellbeing, but also physical.
Sometimes, physical problems can be related to stress and not having an outlet, so finding an activity that is self-care can help prevent or decrease the risk of physical issues. Self care can sometimes be misconstrued with selfishness due to the fact it is about doing something for you. The difference is that selfishness is doing something for yourself at the detriment of others, whereas self-care is doing something for yourself leading to being better for others.
Guilt can sometimes come into play when it comes to self-care, but there isn’t anything to be guilty of. Guilt has similar feelings to selfishness in the sense that it is the thought of doing something wrong. There is nothing wrong with taking care of yourself. The change of integrating self-care can be nerve-wracking, but it can lead to more peace of mind as self care is practiced.
Mindful Minute by Brigid Raftery, RMHCI with Counseling Associates of America
