How are you caring for yourself today?
All thestress-relief activitiesin the world won’t help if we aren’t taking care of ourselves.
Self-care is important because it helps re-establish balance and avoid burnout.
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Good self-care can take on many forms.
It can also mean taking the time to do what we enjoy.
It is vital for building resilience toward life’sstressorsthat we can’t eliminate.
Unfortunately, however, many of us view self-care as a luxury rather than a priority.
Consequently, we’re left feeling overwhelmed, tired, and ill-equipped to handle life’s inevitable challenges.
Remember that there’s a strong connection between our body and our mind.
When we care for our bodies, we’ll think and feel better, too.
This is one of the ways exercise helps with confidence and resilience."
Close connections are important to your well-being.
The best way to cultivate and maintain close relationships is to put time and energy intobuilding our relationshipswith others.
There isn’t a certain number of hours you should devote to your friends or work on your relationships.
Everyone has slightly different social needs.
You might find reading books or watching inspiring movies fuel your mind.
Mental self-care also involves doing things that help you stay mentally healthy.
Practicingself-compassionand acceptance, for example, helps you maintain a healthier inner dialogue.
Nurturing your spirit, however, doesn’t have to involve religion.
Whether you enjoy meditation, attending a religious service, or praying, spiritual self-care is essential.
Emotional self-care may include activities that help us acknowledge and express our feelings regularly and safely.
When assessing your emotional self-care strategies, consider these questions:
Why Is Self-Care Important?
Having an effective self-care routine has been shown to have a number of important health benefits.
Specific forms of self-care have also been linked to different health and wellness benefits, including a longer life.
Develop Your Self-Care Plan
An effective self-care plan should be tailored to your life and your needs.
It needs to be something created by you, for you.
Assess which areas of your life need some more attention and self-care.
And reassess your life often.
As your situation changes, your self-care needs are likely to shift too.
Click below to listen now.
Self-care isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy.
You don’t want to wait until you’ve reached your breaking point.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
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