What Is Self Care, and Why Is It Important?

We often hear about ‘self care’ and how important it is, but what does it really mean and why do we need to take time for ‘self care’? It is incredibly common to feel stressed, anxious or depressed right now as we live through such uncertain times and so the need for self-care and prioritizing our emotional wellness is more important than ever.

WHAT IS SELF CARE?

The concept of ‘self care’ means taking time to take care of yourself and being mindful of your own stress levels. Self care helps you manage your own stress levels which in turn will aid your own health and self esteem.  When we get stressed we often ignore the very things that would help us feel better. This type of care involves looking after both your mind and your body, so not only eating healthily, taking exercise and having fresh air, but also calming your mind, allowing yourself to rest and unwind.

SO WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

So why do we need to take care of ourselves in this way?  When you maintain a healthy lifestyle, take care of yourself and are mindful of your own needs you are then so much better able to meet the needs of others and support the people you care about.  When you are stressed and preoccupied with so many things buzzing around your head you aren’t necessarily going to be able to support those around you in the most positive way which is a key reason why practising self care is so important in addition to helping your own mood and energy levels.

HOW CAN YOU PRACTISE SELF CARE?

So how can we fit self care into our busy stressful days, isn’t it another thing to add to our to-do lists?  Self care can simply involve taking time to calm your breathing whilst you make yourself a cup of tea or enjoy the simple pleasures in life; noticing the winter sun on your face or listening to music.  Communicating is also a hugely important part of self care, staying in contact with family and friends who can give support and  help. 

Although a holiday in the sun might be your ultimate time to relax and recuperate, you do need to relax and take care of yourself more regularly, especially with these trying times at the moment, so it’s a good idea to plan moments in a day to alleviate stress and do something for yourself; sit down and read, take a long hot bath or phone a friend for a chat.

SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

At thespaCLINIC we believe that we can help people relax and be an important part of their self care.  We provide a calm and relaxing environment for our clients to enjoy and benefit from and we offer a variety of treatments to aid stress relief and boost self esteem.  Our massage, reflexology and facial treatments all aid stress relief, are mood boosting and encourage people to unwind. 

You might be surprised at how something as simple as a therapeutic massage can be wonderfully uplifting for your mood. Massage is well known to relieve stress as well as helping to relieve pain from an injury or strain, it can help you feel energised, relaxed and enhance a sense of emotional and physical well-being.  Regular massage can also lower blood pressure as well as increase circulation to flush out harmful toxins.

Reflexology is also a wonderfully relaxing immune boosting treatment, it helps flush out toxins, promotes healing and aids anxiety- surely the ultimate in self care! Facial treatments are also hugely important for self esteem and can help a person feel more confident and positive about looking after themselves as well as the health of their skin.

So remember, self care isn’t a luxury, it’s an important part of your life and whatever form it takes will help you in your every day, so take time to look after yourself, even if you need to justify it by realising that it will help you meet the needs of others better.  And also remember those who support you too, encourage them to look after themselves as well!

Get in touch today and speak to us about how we can help with your own self care.