For most of us, life is a constant balancing act between competing demands. Our days are full of compromises and trade-offs as we constantly look for ways to improve our experiences.
While pushing hard short-term can be good for us and help us to reach our goals, it can take its toll on our long-term happiness and wellbeing. Many women experience burnout by their mid-twenties, making it difficult to be the best that they can be.
So what’s the solution? The answer is self-care.
Self-care is essentially doing things that nurture your body and mind. It’s about looking after yourself so that you can take care of others and be the best person you can be.
There are many forms of self-care that you can try. Some are physical, such as dance and yoga, while others are more mental, such as taking time to meditate or processing certain negative tWhy Self-Care Is So Important thought patterns. However, they all have powerful benefits.
In this post, we take a look at some of the reasons why self-care is so important and why you should start doing more of it today.
It Can Be Social
Self-care isn’t something that you need to do alone. It’s also something that you can do socially and connect with others. Spending time with friends can be a critical part of a powerful self-care plan.
The reason for this is simple: social interactions make us feel better. They can have as profound an impact on our minds as going for a spa day or even taking a vacation. Connecting with others releases oxytocin which provides relief for stressed-out women living busy lives.
It Doesn’t Take Much Time
Here’s another benefit of self-care: it doesn’t take a lot of time, either. As such, it is relatively easy to fit into your day, even if you have an extremely hectic schedule.
For instance, improving your self-care could be as simple as:
- Releasing stress with a quick jog
- Reading a chapter of a book somewhere quiet
- Relaxing in a hammock for a few minutes, watching the sky
- Listening to music
- Cooking something new in the kitchen
- Spending five minutes practicing gratitude or journaling
- Taking a bath
Even just spending five minutes doing these activities can fundamentally change how you feel. You don’t need to do anything extravagant.
It Makes You More Resilient
Imagine if you could be more resilient in your daily life. Think about how much easier it would make things.
Well, when you practice proper self-care, this is something that you can achieve. Building up your wellbeing makes it easier to cope with disasters when they inevitably arrive, making you less prone to exhaustion, both mentally and physically.
Building resilience requires time, but once you have it, you can often maintain it for life. Sleep and diet are the cornerstones. If you can get these right, then everything else will follow. Try to get at least seven hours of continuous sleep every night. Avoid ultra-processed foods and, instead, focus your diet on natural plants. Then go for regular massages to reduce muscle tension and improve your well-being all-round.
It Makes Us Aware Of Our Personal Needs
Many people go through life so focused on other people that they totally neglect their personal needs. And while this might sound like a life of heroic selflessness, it eventually takes its toll. People who are totally giving of themselves often have worse health outcomes than those who behave selfishly from time to time.
It Improves Your Confidence
Self-care is also a great way to improve your confidence. When you look good, you feel good.
Don’t be afraid to spend money on:
- Regular massages
- Expensive gym memberships
- Beautiful clothes and accessories
- Eyeliner, lip gloss, foundation, and other makeup that helps you look your best
- Exercise classes
Once you change your appearance, you’ll notice that you feel different on the inside. All of a sudden, you have the confidence to go forward in your life and do things you never imagined possible before.
It Supports Your Overall Well-Being
When you wake up in the morning, it’s nice to feel good. However, the first thing many of us feel when the alarm sounds is grogginess and a lack of motivation to get on with the day.
Self-care, though, can prevent this, and even leave you feeling refreshed and happy when you wake up in the morning. Connecting socially, staying hydrated, and eating well all change your biochemistry for the better, leaving you feeling refreshed and energized all day long.
It Lowers Stress, Letting You Perform At Your Best
Research seems to indicate that people who practice self-care are less stressed and, therefore, better able to perform during their daily lives.
From a personal perspective, we all know that this is true. When we feel relaxed, we do our best work, and everything happens effortlessly. But when we have high-stress levels, everything becomes a mission.
It Gives You Energy
Most people feel tired all the time. In fact, many are so used to it that they never even consider that there might be another way to live.
Self-care breaks you out of this rut. By looking after yourself better, you can generate more energy for the things that matter in your life.
Higher energy isn’t the only benefit, either. People who practice self-care are better able to communicate with others, have better sleep, and may even develop an improved sense of purpose in life.
It helps You Perform At Your Best
Lastly, self-care helps you perform at your best. Imagine being able to wake up every day of the week, including the weekends, feeling fresh, rested, and restored.
For many of us, it feels like an impossible task, but it’s actually surprisingly achievable. All it requires is a little pampering.
Self-care adds a sense of balance to your life. Instead of constantly choosing other people over yourself, you become a little more selfish. Eventually, you find that you do have time for the things that you want to do in life.
Mocha Girl Alysia
