Self Care | What is it and how to do it well

4 min read

Self-Care : Making it a Priority

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Take some time to reflect on what self-care means to you.

What does it entail? What have you been doing for your own self-care? How would you describe your current state of mind?

Self-care does not represent the same thing for all people nor does one activity fit every individual. Nevertheless, self-care can be important for a mother with children, a busy college student, a couple who just moved to a new city, a man with a hectic work schedule, and more.

What is Self Care?

Self-care is engaging in any intentional and healthy activity regarding your mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health. As simple as it may seem, these healthy activities are often overlooked or neglected at a time when it is most imperative.

What are some examples of Self Care?

Self-care can include activities such as

Expressing your feelings through art or

Journaling

Having stimulating conversations with friends or new people

Recognizing the things that give meaning to your life

Maintaining a balance between your professional and personal life, and

Going to preventative doctor appointments.

Why is Self Care important?

Self-care should be utilized as preventative measures to

decrease stress,
prevent burnout,
increase resilience,
regulate emotions.

Self-care is not an activity to be used as a last-ditch effort when things do not seem to be working out or you are experiencing a lack of energy or fuel.

Making Self Care a priority

If you make self-care a priority, you may begin to realize that you are more efficient and effective on a daily basis and have more energy to tackle the day.

Challenges to practicing better Self Care

Change can be a difficult process to implement especially when you have grown accustomed to a particular behavior, schedule, or routine for some time. Common components of the process of change consist of the following:

Awareness/insight

Self-direction or responsibility

Development

Commitment to goals

Self-reinforcement

Social support

Practice in order to build new patterns and form habits

Self Care Tips

In Buddhas Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom, the authors state, “Over time, through training and shaping your mind and brain, you can even change what arises, increasing what’s positive and decreasing what’s negative” (Hanson & Mendius, 2009).

With forced practice, a new habit eventually forms. Determining small steps provide the opportunity to create measurable and realistic goals for making changes although implementing the plan can be the most challenging stage.

So how do you break the cycle?

It takes one step at a time.

If you are recognizing that you are experiencing low motivation, loss of energy or fatigue, lack of concentration, excessive sleep or a change in sleep habits, and/or anxiety, it is time for a change.

Rather than viewing change as a scary and uncertain step in a different direction, reframe your perspective to see change as an opportunity to learn from your situations and take control of your actions moving forward.

Change is an exciting process because it means you are in the process of growing.

Self Care Conclusions

Attending counseling sessions is a great option to get started as counselors promote quality of life and the expectancy of life through preventative self-care.

We have one of many unique positions to educate clients on their health and provide options to prevent them from engaging in unhealthy behaviors or cycles.

We cannot force individuals to make healthy changes to their lifestyles; however, if a client schedules and attends sessions, that is one step toward making a healthy change and acknowledging that they want something to change and that is our opportunity, as counselors, to help.

Change is inevitable, so reach out today to make that first step toward a positive future!

Alyssa Curry, MA, LPC

NayaClinics.com

SamNabilCounseling.com

To Schedule an Appointment Visit: https://samnabilcounseling.clientsecure.me

Sources

Hanson, R., & Mendius, R. (2009). Buddhas brain: The practical neuroscience of happiness,

love & wisdom. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.