Self Care: What It Is & Why You Need It

Self care, according to the Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre is defined as care “for you, provided by you.” Self care is a little more than your daily shower, hair and makeup routine. Self care is about making sure your mental health is taken care of so you can be the best possible version of yourself to your family.

When you are a caregiver (of either children or adults) it’s easy to put yourself last.

I mean things gotta get done, appointments scheduled, dinner made, right? 

I get it. Sometimes we hold other people and other things as more important than ourselves.

But in reality, because you are so important to many people, taking care of yourself needs to become a priority. Otherwise, you’ll be running on empty, you’ll get stressed out and it won’t be pretty. Trust me.

Welcome back to A Year of Positivity Series! 

What exactly is self care?

Self care means figuring out what you need and then acting upon those needs. If you know you need to work on yourself physically but you keep putting workouts on the back burner because you can’t find the time (that’s me, just saying) then you aren’t practicing self care.

In fact, you’re making things worse for yourself.

You won’t make time to work out.

Maybe not working out makes you more likely to eat junk.

And you’ll either gain weight or never take off those extra pounds.

You’ll be stuck. And feeling stuck in any situation is not fun. Not at all.

How to identify what your needs are:

Identifying your needs is actually quite easy. Ask yourself these 2 questions:

What do you wish you had more time to do? 

At the end of the day what do you regret not getting done? 

Here are a few of my self care needs:

• Read a book for fun. Don’t even get me started on why it’s taken me over a year to start reading Ashley Bell by my FAVORITE author, Dean Koontz. Just don’t ask.
• Workout at least 3-4x per week.
• Read my bible and pray.
• Do my nails.
• Practice a new makeup look or hair-do.
• Take a nap when I feel tired.
• Drink a cup of coffee and read a book or magazine.
• Talk to a friend or family member without constant interruptions.
• Learn something new.
• Take a walk with my dog.

Why is self care important? 

Self care is important for anyone but, especially for those of us who are caregivers. We give so much of our time and a lot of our energy to others. We HAVE to find a way to recharge ourselves and keep growing into positive, productive people.

The only way to recharge yourself is by investing time into yourself.

Practicing self care will help keep you less stressed. Maybe less emotional. And it will definitely make you happier and healthier.

How can I incorporate self care into my daily life?

I’ve found the best way to incorporate self care is to ask for help.

Shocker, right!

I mean as a mom, I’m usually the one helping everyone else around here.

But guess what? I recently realized my kids are perfectly capable of sweeping, mopping and unloading/reloading the dishwasher. Those chores take time out of my day but, because the kids are doing them I have a little bit more wiggle room in my day. And I love it!

I’m totally over the fact that I’m finding spoons where the knives go because they don’t put silverware (or anything really) in the same spots I do. I’m okay with it because I don’t have to do it! 🙂 

Ask your kids, husband or family and friends for help.

You also need to make taking care of yourself a priority. Write in what you need to do for yourself in your planner.

Take yourself seriously.

So don’t forget:

1. Ask for help or take a look at your obligations and cut something out.
2. Prioritize your self care. Schedule it, make it happen!

Some ideas for you…..

Instead of a super quick shower after dinner, let the kids help with cleaning up and soak in a hot bath. Listen to music and unwind.

Go to a gun range and learn to shoot a gun.

Take a walk on a nature trail.

Take a nap.

Go shopping alone.

Start journaling, write out your thoughts.

Read a new book or an old favorite!

Start power walking.

Meditate.

Binge watch a good show. I stayed up way too late watching The OA on Netflix. Oh it’s soo good!

Try a new flavor of hot tea. I love oolong tea.

Watch a comedy.

Listen to a funny podcast. Know of one? Tell me!

Do a mini-declutter, spend 15 minutes and get rid of a junk that’s bothering you.

Go on a date with yourself, go somewhere new and relax! Bonus points if you order a new dish!

The Takeaway: 

• Self care includes activities that nurture you and make you feel good about yourself.
• Without self care you may turn into a psycho (my step daughter says I’m obsessed with the word psycho. I blame Jim Carrey’s portrayal of the Grinch!
• Be sure to make time for yourself every single day.

If you felt this post was helpful I’d love if you shared on Facebook!

What are some of the things you do for self care? Let me know in the comments! 

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