While its popularity in common parlance might be recent, self-care is not a new concept. It is just what it sounds like as, taking care of yourself. There are numerous definitions produced by different authorities, which include the emphasis on different aspects of self-care. So what is self-care exactly?
What is self-care?
What is self-care? Simply say, it is the practice to preserve or improve your mental or physical health consciously. It covers both mental and physical elements, and a regime of self-care should improve the way you feel in body and mind.
But here is the question, how do we measure it? ISF (International Self-Care Foundation) therefore proposes a framework that can conveniently measure self-care around seven ‘pillars’ or ‘domains’:
It is estimated by ISF that 70% to 95% of all illnesses are managed without the intervention of a doctor. Self-care becomes the fundamental level of health care in the society gradually.
Why self-care is important?
Firstly, it plays an important role to live a healthy and happy lifestyle. Nowadays, people are increasingly leading busy lives and taking multiple responsibilities to care for. It is easy for us to forget ourselves.
Doing self-care doesn’t have to involve a huge time commitment or cost much, it can be easy such as taking a bath, reading a good book, having a walk in the garden, or doing meditation at home. It is about committing to putting yourself first, even just for a while, and enjoy the time only for yourself.
Moreover, it has numerous benefits to improve your wellbeing as follows:
- Improve both mental & physical health
Whether doing exercising or meditation every night, it is able to focus on looking after both of your physical and mental health.
- Reduce stress and anxiety
Spending time on more relaxing activities, such as listening to music or practicing yoga, are effective ways to reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety.
- Boost self-esteem
Taking time to look after yourself can have help to boost your self-esteem, treating yourself with kindness can make you look upon yourself more kindly.
- Lead better relationship
The happier and healthier you are, the more you can give to a relationship, no matter with your parents or friends.
How to do self-care?
There are many things you can do to engage yourself in self-care, and it’s not that hard to get started. By understanding what is self-care, you can join the offline programs, or read about self-care strategies online. No matter which approaches you choose, the goal is to figure out what strategies work best for you and learn how to implement them in your routine!
Read More:
Self-Care Activities List: 7 Ideas to Take Better Care of Yourself
