The importance of self care

You may not have heard of the term self-care, but chances are that you are doing it on an everyday basis, often without even realising it. Despite this, if we understood more about our self care and its importance, then there would be more of us trying to do it as often as we can. So, with this in mind, we have put together our guide to self care and why it is so important.

 

What is self care?

Self care in its simplest terms is what you do to be kind to yourself. It is when you recognise that you are starting to burn out and allowing yourself a way to step back and recharge. It is also being compassionate to yourself, realising that you are not able to do everything or be the best at everything, and that sometimes it is okay to make mistakes or fail. The concept of self care can be both physical and mental, and has an overall positive effect on your wellbeing as a whole.

 

Why is it so important?

You may understand more about self care, but do you know why it is so important? There are a variety of reasons why you should practice self care, aside from the fact that it can make you feel pretty great outside and in.

 

It can help you to battle illness

Finding that you are getting ill easily and then struggling to shake it off? Perhaps you need to take some time for some self care. Research has shown that the majority of activities that are deemed as self care will activate the parasympathetic nervous system which means that your body will help to fortify its own immune system and make you better at battling any illnesses.

 

It helps you to learn more about yourself

We could all do with learning a little more about ourselves. By indulging in some self care, you are likely to find out more about what you like to do, and what makes you feel great. Understanding this can help you to reignite a spark that maybe you lost some time ago, and perhaps discover a new hobby or way to spend time.

 

It makes you more productive

When you take charge of your own self care, chances are that you might have to say no to other tasks or things to do. Sometimes, learning to say no is one of the best things that you can do. Not only does it make you feel more assertive, but it can also mean that you have much more time to focus on the things that are important to you, and that you really need to get done!

 

It is great for your self-esteem

All that time for yourself is going to send a truly positive message to your subconscious. It will affirm that you should see value in yourself and that you are just as important as the world around you. This can be a huge help when it comes to silencing any critical inner voice that you may have, and generally improving your self esteem.

 

It may even make you more compassionate, considerate and kind to others around you

When you take better care of yourself, then chances are that you are going to feel even more empowered to be kind to those around you. After all, shouldn’t everyone feel as great as you do right now?

 

Now you know more about self care and why it is important, perhaps you can think about ways work a little more self care into every day. Leaving yourself feeling great and with plenty of kindness to share around.