Have you ever thought so much about your life before this activity? If ‘yes’, it is truly appreciable and if, ‘no’, it is truly appreciable that you did it today!
When I tried this activity, intentionally looking at my positive aspects helped me gain a new perspective on myself. I realised that I was not mindful of the wonders in my life until I intentionally thought of it. I understood the importance of noting positive reminders about the self just the way we appreciate the external things we see. Isn’t it ironic? The routines and lifestyles of celebrities draw our attention, yet we spend so little time being mindful about our own lives and actions. Meanwhile it is these very daily actions that contribute to our overall well being. Though self-care may seem like a recent trend, would you believe that its roots date back to a 5000 year old Indian medicine system?
Ayurveda, a 5000 year old Indian system of medicine emphasises on ‘panchakarma’, 5 different procedures used to cleanse the body and establish a balance in our body. Though ‘panchakarma therapy’ is used for curing diseases, it emphasises on the fact that it can be practiced to maintain good health (Singh, 2012). This focuses on the perspective of self-care that certain behaviours need not be practiced only if unwell, rather we should practice self-care to maintain what we already have and it isn’t selfish to do that!
What is self-care?
According to research, the concept of personal self-care has been explained as “behavioural strategies that support subjective wellness, reduce stress, and help limit the effect of the professional identity on the personal for a person” (Bressi et.al, 2017). This comprises of efforts to maintain a basic level of control over one's mind and body by the quality of sleep, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, developing a social network with one's society, relatives, or peers, and engaging in leisure pursuits that foster innovation, enjoyment, and relaxation (Bressi et.al, 2017). Self-care is very subjective. Self-care for me is dancing for hours whereas self-care according to you could be ‘a short walk after dinner’ or ‘saying no for a party because you are exhausted’. Being mindful about what your body and mind needs, providing self-care through different ways helps one take care of self.
Why is self care important? Why is it not being selfish?
A child may cry when they are feeling hungry. Parents recognise this as an essential need and immediately cater to it. However if a child is throwing a tantrum for a piece of chocolate the parent may deny the child as chocolate is seen more as a “treat”. More often than not, we end up considering self care as a proverbial treat rather than the essential need to be catered to. We ignore the demands of our mind and body instead of honouring them.
According to research, self-care has been beneficial in improving the quality of life of patients (Mlinac et.al, 2016). Research points out that students can better deal with stress if engaged in self-care activities (Myers et.al, 2012). To engage in self-care, you need to be aware about what feels good/positive for you. This demands self-awareness and eventually we can better decide in situations about what seems appropriate for ‘self’. The thought of self-care itself is an initiative towards self-care. Asking, ’why is self-care important’ is equivalent to ‘why is feeling good important?’
Drawing boundaries, dealing with our emotions, being mindful, engaging in physical activity, drinking water sufficiently, walking by nature, music, a good nap and many such activities are a part of self-care.Would you deny these activities for the closest person in your life? As mentioned above, self-care helps you deal with stress which indicates that it is a step towards a healthy life. Every being in this world deserves a healthy life. The healthier you are as an individual, the more contribution we make in the social society we live in. Self-care is like the mask we all used in the Covid-19 pandemic so that others don’t get infected nor do you get infected and you feel safe. So, if wearing a mask in Covid-19 was not selfish, self-care in day to day life isn’t too!
“Taking care of myself doesn’t mean ‘me first’,
it means ‘me too’” - A quote by L.R.Knost (2019)
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References
Bressi, S. K., & Vaden, E. R. (2017). Reconsidering self care. Clinical Social Work Journal, 45, 33-38.
Mlinac, M. E., & Feng, M. C. (2016). Assessment of activities of daily living, self-care, and independence. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 31(6), 506-516. https://academic.oup.com/acn/article-abstract/31/6/506/1727834
Myers, S. B., Sweeney, A. C., Popick, V., Wesley, K., Bordfeld, A., & Fingerhut, R. (2012). Self-care practices and perceived stress levels among psychology graduate students. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 6(1), 55. https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/tep/6/1/55/
Singh, N. (2012). Panchakarma: Cleaning and rejuvenation therapy for curing the diseases. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 1(2), 01-09.
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