Putting Your Own Oxygen Mask on First- Why Self-care is Not Selfish

Self-care means deliberately taking part in activities that promote our own well-being. Being as kind to ourselves as we would be to other people. Many of us have lots of responsibilities in our lives, both at work and personally, and self-care is often neglected.

When our bodies feel depleted, life becomes more challenging. Stress is a far too common. Stress can alter our hormonal behaviour by producing more ‘cortisol’. If we constantly experience stress, the cortisol levels can become too high. This can negatively affect our bodies in several ways, such as; weight gain, mood irritability, disrupted sleep, reduced energy levels and contribute to diabetes. Instead of allowing our stresses to overcome us, it is essential to practice self-care.

Stress can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as overeating, drinking alcohol or even drug taking. These coping mechanisms are addictive and can cause more problems than they solve. We may feel short term relief from these habits, but there are long term consequences.

So, what are some healthy self-care techniques?

Physical self-care; enough sleep and a healthy balanced diet. Emotional self-care; talking to people about your emotions and processing them in a healthy way. Mental self-care; making time to take a step back from the things that cause you stress. Spiritual; connecting to your faith, attending church, talking to other like-minded individuals. Far too often when people are asked “What do you do for yourself?” people can’t think of anything. People can feel guilty planning things for no one else’s benefit but their own. Self-care is a magnet for shame.

However, when we feel refreshed, we can give back to others. A positive mindset can help us view situations more realistically, improving our approach to things. Therefore, our relationships will benefit. Productivity will increase as self-care improves our concentration. So, our work-life will be positively affected. We should not consider self-care as selfish.

Self-care can be difficult to practice; people feel that they don’t have the time. Creating a schedule can encourage people to stick to it. Think about the things that you enjoy; perhaps doing some exercise, listening to music or taking a long bath. Something that calms your mind and provokes positivity in a healthy way. It does take practice to implement a self-care routine.

Being kind to our bodies is more than just taking a bubble bath. When we make the time to do something for ourselves, it reinforces our own worth. When there are multiple things we must juggle, we may think we are choosing between ourselves and our responsibilities. This is not the appropriate way to view this. We are not choosing others before ourselves, we are creating a life balance. Self-care should be a part of that balance. This can increase our self-esteem.

Overall, self-care is not a selfish act. Self-care has qualities that will improve our own well-being as well as our relationships. With some practice, it can easily become a part of our lifestyle.