Self-care, what is it and why is it so important?
I have just spent the last 2 weeks on holiday in Sri Lanka, a 2-week holiday that we well and truly needed as a family. This was our first holiday together since 2019. We spent most of the holiday either by the pool or on the beach, which is unusual for us as we normally spend our time exploring. However, we were all exhausted and needed this time to recharge our batteries.
But why is self-care and recharging your batteries important?
If you have been on a flight, you would have heard this, “please put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others.” If you haven’t got your mask on you might die, and therefore you will not be of any help to the people around you. Likewise, if you don’t look after yourself and recharge your batteries, you are of no use to the people around you and, if you are not careful, you will burn out. Self-care is the most important thing we should do. But we don’t….
Why?
Self-care can be seen as self-indulgent, putting yourself first and being selfish. NO, you are looking after the only body that you will ever get. You can buy a new car, a new home, new clothes, but you cannot buy a new body. Once your body gives up on you, that’s it. You need to look after it.
I tell my clients that we are like flowers; we need rain and sun to survive. The rain is home, food, money the basics, and the sun is what makes us thrive and this is self-care. Think of yourself as a flower, how much sun are you giving yourself? Probably not a lot.
How can you make sure you are recharging your batteries? Well, a holiday is good, but it’s not enough. We need to keep our charge at least at 50% every day so that we are firing on all cylinders. Here is a list of some self-care activities you could do:
- Read a book for half an hour per day
- Go for a walk (nature is brilliant for self-care)
- Make sure you are eating and drinking nutritious food (rubbish in, rubbish out)
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Listen to music
- Keep a gratitude journal that you add something to every day
- Learn something new
- Do something you love doing – alone
- Buy yourself some flowers
- Go and meet your friends
- Massage/manicure/pedicure/facial
- Write a bucket list
- Sleep
- Dance
- Digital detox
- Cook
- Watch a film and eat your favourite snacks
- Create a vision board
- Spend time with an animal
- Get creative – colouring book, crystal art, knit, sew
- Ground yourself – walk outside with nothing on your feet
- Plan a trip
- Organise your wardrobe
- Book yourself into a spa for the day (and don’t feel guilty about it)
These are just some ideas of what you can do. To ensure we are at 50%, we should be doing at least 1 self-care activity per day and no, it is not indulgent, it is necessary.
Remember, your car needs petrol or diesel in it to work and likewise, you also need to fuel yourself!