Do you struggle with so many responsibilities in life that you forget to take care of yourself? You might be dealing with the care of your children, perhaps you are a caregiver for a family member, or maybe you are giving 150% of your energy to a business you are trying to launch.
And, while it is hard to prioritize something like getting in just 30 minutes of exercise when you have so many other things on your to-do list, remember that self-care is an important aspect of stress management.
How Self-Care Benefits You:
However, if you want to feel more resilient and better able to manage life’s stresses, you need to take time for self-care. A walk around the park, a long soak in the tub or other forms of pampering renew you inside and out. Taking time out to maintain self-care has several benefits:
It Makes You a Better Caregiver
When people ignore their own self-care, and forget to tend to their own needs, they risk deeper levels of self pity, low self-esteem, and feelings of anger and bitterness.
Sometimes people who spend most of their time taking care of others can be at risk for burn out, which in turn, makes it very difficult to care for others, much less themselves.
In reality, when you care for yourself regularly, you make you a better caregiver for others.
It Affects Your Health & Wellness
While self-care doesn’t always lead to any health and wellness enhancements, the way healthy a diet and exercise do, the relaxation you get from self-care can trigger a decompression response… which can prevent persistent stress from damaging your health.
It Affects Your Emotional Well-being
If you feel like stress is taking over your life, think how you can better handle its effects and find relief in simpler routines.
Taking time out to care for yourself can remind you, and others, that you also have needs that are important too.
And, when you take care of yourself — you feel better about yourself and your life. This sends a message to family and friends around you – that you value yourself. It also contributes to your long-term feelings of well-being.
The Importance of Self-Care
It goes without saying that if you are getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals, including down-time in your schedule and making time for friends, you already understand the importance of self-care.
However, a few hours of self-indulgence on a regular basis is also a good idea. A couple of hours of ‘me-time’ for a spa treatment might be just the ticket to help manage the stress, and here’s why:
It Calms Chaotic Feelings
Giving your body special treatment is an inherent way to alleviate stress. Besides keeping your skin soft and your body well maintained, spa-like activities, like massage, and warm baths have been known to comfort even cranky babies like nothing else.
Similar activities continue to be effective means to an end, providing the necessary diversions we need as we get older, however, sometimes we forget to make use of them.
It Gives You a Break from Stress
Spending some time in a bubble bath, or taking the time for a full body massage can help you relax and escape the day to day stressful reality, providing a mental and emotional break.
As previously mentioned, it triggers the relaxation response and allows you to come back to the reality of your life feeling refreshed and relaxed.
It Gives You Time Alone
Whether you are an extrovert, or an introvert, having some time along is important to most people in order to function at your most efficient.
When you give yourself some down time, it’s much easier to slip into a state of quiet introspection and soul searching, giving your mind the chance to work on problems without taking all of your attention.