When you think of self-care you may picture a steaming hot bubble bath with a delicate cup of herbal tea sitting on a tableside. But when it comes to truly caring for the self, you will have to go more than skin deep. Read below to learn about ways you can help provide your body with the self-care it deserves daily today.
What is self-care?
The formal definition of self-care is the actions taken to help preserve or improve one's health. If this is the case, then you would expect that self-care would be right up there with healthy eating and exercise when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, self-care usually sits in the back seat of many people's to-do lists because:
"I don't have time."
"I have to take care of xyz person first"
"I don't deserve it."
"I have work to finish first."
"I can't afford to take time for it."
Some people may see self-care as selfish or unproductive. But in fact, self-care is vital to your health. It can give you the strength and energy to take care of those tasks and the people that you cherish most. Every body needs a reset or refresher now and then to bring themselves in balance.
Types of self-care
Self-care comes in all shapes and forms. Besides the obvious forms like bubble baths, manicures, or massages, self-care can look like:
taking a walk or jog outside
attending a yoga class
sitting in a comfortable chair and listening to music, reading a book, or watching a movie
laying down and doing some relaxation breathing
signing on to a telehealth session with a therapist
Self-care is not just about taking time for your physical health, but also for your mental health too. The health of your mind is just as important as the health of your body. The two go hand in hand. In fact, research shows that those who take time for self-care report less stress and a higher quality of life.
Exercise as self-care
Over the past year, as many of us were stuck indoors for most hours of the day, at-home exercise became more popular. Exercise can be a great form of self-care. It not only provides me time, but also works to support heart health and mental health.
A recent study in RunRepeat shows that around 28-percent of current runners started running during the time they were in quarantine over this past year. Although they primarily started running for physical health goals, a little over 54-percent of such runners report that they began running to help improve their
mental or emotional health.
And if you're increasing your exercise, it's important to take care of your feet. SinoKnit sock company provides a great article with tips on how to take care of your feet to keep them healthy.
CBD in self-care
Another form of self-care is finding ways to help you relax your body internally. The advent of CBD in bath and beauty products has made this easier to do on a daily basis.
Personally, I enjoy carrying around CBD oil roll-on products in my bag to rub on my temples and wrists during work hours to help me relax. In particular, I enjoy CBD oils with essential oils in them like lavender like Sagely Naturals CBD roll-on to help enhance my relaxation breathing sessions.
Another great CBD product is Yuni Zenicure Facial Oil. I take this oil with me in my purse in case I need to take a time out for relaxation breathing. Just rub the earthy botanical scent of avocado and sweet almond oil combined with ylang ylang, hemp, and blackberry seed oils, among other natural ingredients. The wand included in the oil vial helps with easy application.
And if you're looking for a bath product, look no further than the CBD bath bombs from Equilibria. I used them for the first time the other day. The smell of lavender and lemongrass was very refreshing and a great addition to my relaxation breathing routine I try to employ during bath time. Just a 15-minute soak can help refresh and reinvigorate your body before your night's rest.
Although it's unclear if topical CBD products like topicals or bath products can produce side effects, too large of a dose of CBD oil at once can lead to side effects in some people like nausea, fatigue, and diarrhea. Therefore, always start small and increase your usage as tolerated.
You can read this article in Health magazine online to help you read about other CBD oil products that may work for you. Also, enjoy this article in Beliebis to learn more about the spectrums of CBD oil and various CBD products they offer.
Therapy as self-care
Talking to someone you don't know about your life issues may seem daunting. But believe me when I say that from my personal experience, talk therapy can not only improve your life, but save your life from going down a dark road. Talk therapy may not be the answer for everyone. However, most people would benefit from trying this form of self-care. Through talk therapy, you can gain expert insight into the stress, anxiety, and/or depression that you encounter.
Studies show that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps modify a person's patterns of thinking and behavior to help improve mood, can help reduce anxiety symptoms whether it's done in person or via a web-based platform. Telehealth talk therapy via your phone or computer can also help reduce depressive symptoms.
If you don't have health insurance, or can't afford talk therapy with your health insurance, read this article from GoodRx to help reveal to you resources on obtaining therapy at budget-friendly prices.
Health benefits of self-care
Besides increasing quality of life, a 2021 study shows that self-care, whether it be through meditation or physical activity, can help preserve your mental health. In fact, meditation effects on health show similarities to vacation days. The difference is that, unlike a vacation, you can fit five minutes of meditation into your everyday schedule.
Experts report that moving more for self-care can benefit heart health, while performing self-care to calm the mind can help improve sleep. And in turn, better sleep can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that most adults sleep between seven and nine hours each night for optimal health.
A final note on self-care
When you ride in a plane, they always tell you to put on the oxygen mask first before you try to save anyone else. This is because you need to be healthy to care for others in the best way. The same can be said for self-care. Try to look at self-care as a way to not only help yourself and love yourself, but to be there for the ones you love.
Add self-care to your to-do list just like you would brush your teeth or get dressed. A small dose of self-care every day, even just five minutes, can help your mind and body be at their best today and from this day forward.