The Importance of Self-Care

​Introduction

Hello and welcome! In this short article, I aim to present to you some of the benefits of self-care and also facts around the importance of practicing self-care. Happy reading!

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Definition of Self-Care:

So, what is self-care exactly? Self-care is a definition as the process of establishing behaviours that helps to promote our wellbeing. The way I see it is a means to help us get through potentially stressful situations and also, in some cases facilitate our personal holistic growth. Self-care also plays an integral part of our daily life. It gives us a sense of purpose and can represent our ways of healing. There are different aspects of self-care that cater to us and it can be useful to have understanding of what this entail.

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Types of Self-Care:

Self-care can include a lot of practical activities such as:

- Exercising
- Eating healthy
- Reading
- Watching TV
- Doing yoga or mindfulness
- Creative arts such as drawing or writing

Self-care can also include emotional aspects such as:
- Spending time with loved ones and friends who hold a significant positivity for you
- Setting boundaries and having clear expectations
- Embracing your feelings via journaling or giving yourself permission to sit with the way you feel, so it can potentially pass gradually
- Acknowledging the purpose of emotions without guilt, judgement or embarrassment
- Practising gratitude and allowing yourself to do what is best for you to heal


Creating a balance:

The amount of self-care we engage in could be dependent on a few things. Let’s explore some of these one at a time:

​What situation are we facing at the moment?

Sometimes we can be in challenging situations that can take time to move away from or in some cases, feel almost impossible to move from. First of all, it’s important to acknowledge our feelings and allow ourselves to have a healthy filter in the form of self-care, so it can help the overwhelming feelings reduce. I understand it isn’t easy when you’re going through some much, but always remember it is ok not to be ok.

 
Is there anything we can do to change the way we feel?

When we experience situations where we feel stuck and stagnated, it’s very common for us to think “how can we fix this or can it really be fixed? But it’s important to understand you’re only human and you’re doing the best you can in that situation. Maybe we can’t change what has happened but we can have regular breaks to help us recharge and energise.

 Are we making time for self-care?

Another situation one can be stuck in is having a very busy schedule and doing so much at once. This may consist of doing ongoing duties at home, at the workplace or at school/college. Whilst it is seen at being a good thing to keep yourself busy, it’s always better to have a day or even a few hours aside for you to do things you like. In that way, it can avoid burnout and be a positive way of practicing self-care.

 
Myths of self-care:

MYTH: “I’m doing nothing all day so I’m not caring for myself”

FACT: Doing nothing doesn’t mean you’re not self-caring, Sometimes our mind and body needs that space to rest and that’s ok. Even giving yourself time to do nothing is a sign of you needing a break

MYTH: “Self-care doesn’t help. There’s no point in it”

FACT: Sometimes we can end up overthinking and over-trying to do things to divert our minds, but find it’s not making a difference. But let’s not take away the fact you’re trying and even if it hasn’t helped in the moment, it’s given you time to focus on you. Also, we need to retrain our body and mind at times and with time, you could end up getting better results with self-care.

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Final words of wisdom…

Self-care is all about looking after yourself and promoting your wellbeing in a holistic approach. I want you to know that you do matter and your feelings also matter. Even if you need a helping hand to help you recover, that’s absolutely fine.

There are a range of organisations that are willing to listen and support you such as Samaritans, Papyrus, Silverline, Young Minds, RightlinesUK and CALM.
There are also therapies you could access via the NHS or via directories. At Taslim Counselling & Supervision, I also offer individual sessions and will be happy to help you in your recovery journey. Please feel free to get in touch via info@taslimcounselling.com if this is of interest to you.

I really hope you found this article helpful and thank you for taking the time to read this. Sending lots of best wishes your way :)