The importance of self care and giving yourself time to breathe.

Taking care of yourself means finding time to give yourself the love and devotion you deserve. It is seen as one of the most important aspects towards having a healthy & happy life, if not the most important.

When asked "Do you take care of yourself?" most of the time people respond with "yes" without even thinking about it, when in reality they probably don't. Then comes the question "well how do you do so?" that is when the truth and realization comes out. We tend to let the days pass and work ourselves till we are drained and dead tired because we feel like we have so much too do. Or our days are just so busy we can't find time to give ourself a break. Then there can also be the days where we eat complete shit and know we are going to regret it but we allow it to happen because we think it is what our bodies need. Now, I am not saying never to eat junk food and enjoy treats, of course you should do that just do it once in a while so it is more enjoyable and you don't feel guilty afterwards. Some of us have school and part time jobs, some of us work everyday, all day, and that is okay because it is what you have to do or what you like to do. But, you need breaks. You need to allow yourself to breathe once in a while and take a day to treat yourself and relax.

I don't know about you but I certainly have never given my body enough credit for what it does for myself. Ever since I was a young dancer I have been incredibly hard on myself, in fact I am my hardest critic. In my twenty-one years of life I don't remember one day I fully loved myself. It is such a hard thing to find, finding the love you deserve, but it needs to be done no matter how long it takes. During this pandemic I have really learned a lot about myself and how I should be treated by not only others but by myself. The hours we have had to spend by ourself and inside our homes has been hard personally. I like my space but not this much of it. I like being with people and doing fun things outdoors and adventuring new spots, all of which distract me from the attention of myself. I am starting to accept it finally. I have done so by giving myself self care days, creating a nightly routine, having everything set out for morning and ready, working hard on my school work to achieve my goals, and by going on daily walks to enjoy the sunlight and fresh air. All of this is important to a healthy life and we need to see this as important.

What is self care? It is an activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Yes it can sometimes be as simple as catching up on sleep and taking a bath but there are many other ways to take care of yourself.

Here are some examples;

~ Making sleep a priority ~

This is one of the biggest impacts of your day to day mood. If you do not sleep enough it has a huge effect on your emotional and physically health.

~ Staying organized ~

Take a day to catch up and write everything down that you need to get done. Create a list so you don't have to jumble it up in your head and you can have a sense of ease. Take one thing at a time.

~ Having a clean environment ~

This has a big help with your mood. If you are in a messy room and nothing is organized that is how you and your life are going to behave but, if you have a clean and healthy environment it helps keep you motivated and fresh, feeling ready to take on the day.

~ Incorporating exercise into your daily routine ~

Helps keep your physical health intact as well as your stress levels. It helps boost your mood and reduce your stress and anxiety, not to mention keeping you fit.

~ Taking care of your gut health ~

Eating healthy can make you feel 10x better about yourself, as well as help make your body feel better and energized in general. It prevents inflammation and injuries towards the brain and rest of your body.

~ Having a self care routine ~

If you have a busy schedule and it is hard to find time for yourself, make time weekly. Once a week give yourself at least one hour for yourself to relax and do what your body needs. Put it in your calendar so you don't forget.

~ Pamper yourself ~

Take a nice bath with lavender salts, give yourself a pedicure or manicure, put a facemask on, burn a candle, get a massage, take a whole day without social media. Give yourself the love it deserves.

What self care isn't; It isn't something we should feel the need to force on ourself or something we don't enjoy. Self care also is not a selfish act, it is only about considering our needs and knowing what we need in order to take care of ourselves and sometimes taking care of others. Which should also make you realize if you are not taken care of by yourself first, how do you expect to let yourself take care of the ones you love? It gives better chance in being able to meet the needs of others. Self care encourages self-improvement. It promotes rest and relaxation, which has huge benefits on our overall health and wellness. It also promotes healthier relationships. When our self-esteem and self-awareness improves, it has a positive effect on our overall mindset, giving us a life we desire.

So please; Put Yourself First, Stay Strong, Take Care Of Your Beautiful Body.

Self Care Is Important.

~Sydiej