The Misconception Around Self-Care

WHO defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider”.
Pop culture promotes self-care as lighting scented candles and applying peel-off masks paired with a glass of Margarita. Oh, and the occasional practice of yoga and meditation.
But what does it really mean? “Taking care of oneself” when you barely possess the ability to take care of the things you’re already responsible for.
In a world led by “influencers” and superficiality, where self-awareness is rare and finding someone who’s actually read a book : even rarer. About a million coping mechanisms with no one to understand unless they’re getting paid for it. What does it mean?

Self care can be something as simple as establishing work-life boundaries or learning to say no to a toxic situation, prioritising yourself every once in a while. While also keeping in mind that “self” care doesn’t always resonate with being “self”ish.
Self-care is how you cope with all the things that freak you out, make you anxious. The things that make you sane, and let you perform to the best of your abilities. It is absolutely critical for anyone’s physical, mental and emotional well being.
And it does not have a definite bunch of activities set in stone, what means self-care to someone else, wouldn’t hold the same value to you and vice versa

Here are a few practical self-care methods to get you started the right way:

Eating right may sound simplistic but mindful eating goes a long way. Address your unique emotions and coping mechanisms associated with eating. Take time to enjoy your meals with dedicated lunch breaks.

Self-care is essentially about balance and moderation. Exercise is known to speed up metabolism, increase cardiovascular activity and release endorphins.

Having a passionate purpose in life, and a goal to strive toward, helps us live a longer, more satisfying life.

Journaling can help you recognise your self-defeating patterns and monitor your triggers. Visiting a mental health professional is as important as visiting a physician in case of an emotional overwhelm. Prioritize supportive social and emotional connections, recognise the toxic and emotionally taxing ones too. Self-care is not a self-improvement project.

Sleep is the most accessible aid in the self-care toolkit. A regular sleep schedule and sleep hygiene are paramount to self-care.

It may seem like a cliché but stopping and smelling the flowers, watching the sun rise, walking on wet grass...all of these things are powerful mindfulness exercises. Nature-based self-care is an important part of your wellness arsenal. It helps you slow down and employ your senses

If you buy into a commercialized definition of self-care that’s all about pampering or into a definition that is all about withdrawing from the world, you’ll overlook forms of self-care that are easily accessible to you and potentially very helpful.
Dr Sarah Cotton, a Melbourne-based organisational psychologist says that “self-care is the deliberate act of taking care of your mental, emotional and physical well-being. It’s getting out of auto-pilot to work out what you need and to make sure that your needs are met.”
Self-care is not always the same as feel-good indulgences. Self-care is about getting back to basics, not putting yourself last and knowing when to reach out for help.

• https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/self-care-interventions/definitions/en/
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-practice/202001/5-things-people-get-wrong-about-self-care