Self-care is vital.
It is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.
If you do not care for your own health, well being, and happiness you cannot be of any use to anyone else.
The analogy of putting your own mask first before helping someone else while flying.
But wait, what exactly is self-care?
Any activity you do deliberately to take care of your mental, physical and emotional health is self-care.
Self-care can take many forms and you don’t necessarily need to spend excessive amounts of money on it.
It can be simple things like:
- Exercise
- Taking a nap (yes, seriously)
- Reading a book
- Going outside in nature for a walk
- Eating the right foods
Anything that will make you happy and uplift your mood can be considered self-care.
And no, the “holy trinity” of drugs, sex and alcohol does not fit this category.
You are not on this planet to simply survive. You should endeavour to thrive, your body and mind are your greatest assets to achieve that. Take care of them.
Eat well. Meditate. Exercise. Keep your environment clean. Drink lots of water. The standard advice but actually doing it.
Sometimes, in spite of ongoing chaos in your surroundings, you need to find time for yourself. For me, if something is not on my calendar it doesn’t get done. I block out time on my calendar for reading, journaling, meditation, exercise, writing and all other activities. Schedule self-care time like you would block out dinner plans, dentist appointments or work commitments.
Make weekly, monthly and quarterly plans.
Look after your self mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Your future self will thank you (and me) for it.