motivation Jan 21, 2021
Self-care is all over the headlines these days. For busy people, it might feel like one more thing to add to your already-full to-do list. But what is self-care, really? Is it a manicure or a massage? Is it a full day of meal prep? Or is it just a hot bath at the end of a long day?
Basically, self-care is just what it sounds like: taking care of yourself. There are certain baseline behaviors that support health and well-being. These things are not difficult or complicated, but they do require consistency, and they function best when they are habits. These behaviors assure that your basic needs are met on a daily basis. They are paying the bills first before you hit the mall with your discretionary spending. They are parenting yourself with a much care as you parent your children.
This one seems obvious! Of course we need air to live. But to take the obvious a step further, we need clean well-oxygenated air and we need to breathe deeply so that our bodies can access and use all of that oxygen. Self-care around this need might look like learning how to breathe deeply from the diaphragm, and taking several short breaks through out the day to take three or four deep cleansing breaths. Breathing deeply functions as a reset and calms our nervous system.
Keeping yourself well hydrated is important for optimal health. Our bodies are 70% water, and we need it for every cell to function as it should. Self-care around this need might look like drinking a full glass of water upon waking, and then drinking water throughout the day. Make water your beverage of choice. Make sure you are drinking a full glass with each meal and snack.
Food is our fuel. It is what our bodies use for energy and for healing. If the fuel you are using is low-quality, your energy and immune response will be low-quality as well. Your body functions best when it uses fat for energy and has adequate protein to repair itself and adequate fiber to maintain a healthy gut. Self-care around this need involves understanding your body’s nutritional needs, and then planning appropriately to meet those needs with real, nutritious food. Eat lots of vegetables. Eat good fats. Avoid sugar.
Although we used to think that our brains shut off when we sleep, researchers have revealed that our brains are very busy while we’re sleeping. This is the time for healing, repairing, restoring, and processing. Our hormones reset while we’re sleeping. For optimal EVERYTHING, from metabolism to cognitive function to immune response, you need your sleep! Self care around this need involves a healthy bedtime routine and a consistent 7-9 hours, every night. Check out our top ten sleep tips here.
We all need shelter from the elements. What that shelter looks like will be different from place to place, as the shelter needs in Arizona are different from the shelter needs in Vermont. But our homes should be places that shelter and protect us, from the elements and also from the storms of life. They should be filled with things and beings that we love. Self-care around this need is about keeping your space clean to support your work, whatever that is. It can be about being perfectly organized, or about being inspired, or about being safe. It is about making your space into what you need it to be.
We all need to feel that our lives mean something. Connecting to your purpose can be about prayer and meditation. It can be about journaling. It can be about gratitude. If you are an introvert, it can be about taking time to be alone. If you are an extrovert, it can be about prioritizing quality time with people you love. But making time every day to connect to the things that are most important in your life will give you the motivation and energy to dig in when the going gets tough. Being connected to your purpose will fill your reservoir of willpower, and will give your self-discipline the meaning to make it stick.
So where do manicures fit into all of this? We all need treats, sometimes. But just as in parenting, self-care should aim to put healthy boundaries around the needs in our lives first, and then allow us to indulge in healthy ways. Go ahead and get the manicure, after you’ve eaten a good lunch, had a glass of water, and slept eight hours!