Is self-care selfish? If you ask me, I would say self-care is equivalent to self-love, and self-love is the foundation of giving back to people what has filled our cup, for I know one can never pour from an empty cup.
As much as we are humans, we need to maintain our body, mental health, and emotional well-being. Just as a car engine requires oil and daily checks to keep running, so too does our body require daily checks and repairs to keep working healthily.
Sadly, so many people have taken their good health for liberty until it broke down beyond repair. I hear many young people say I can never have blood pressure at this young age, so why do I need to check my blood pressure? Can I burst your bubble? Due to the high rate of economic instability, many young people have been victims of heart attacks, strokes, and even high blood pressure.
At times, we hardly take a rest from our daily hustling, late nights, and very early wakings just to make ends meet. Lack of sleep is doing more harm than good to our body, which is why we experience constant headaches, high-stress levels, and other symptoms associated with lack of sleep.
We need to prioritize our sleep, as sleep has a way of repairing our body tissue, mind, and soul. Have you not noticed how energetic and happy you feel when you have about 8 hours of sleep? Rather than waking up angry and tired, you feel happier and are likely to be more productive for the day.
Another way to prioritize self-care is learning to manage stress. One can learn to manage stress in different ways: exercise is a good way to manage stress and keep fit; exercise has the power to elevate your mood and increase your energy levels; taking deep breaths, taking short walks, and even journaling are other ways to manage stress. When you write about how overwhelming everything feels, it feels more like taking a huge load off your chest and setting schedules or to-do lists is yet another perfect way to manage stress.
Limiting screen time is part of self-care. Screen time can drain you and steal your time with the ones around you. Some people have this habit of walking and pressing their phones, eating and pressing their phones, or even talking to someone and pressing their phones. Sometimes you just need to take a break from it all and live in the moment.
Practice more Me-time. So many people do not have me-time; they are always on the go. Me-time is the highest form of self-care. Having me-time will help you discover who you truly are. Take a moment to shut out the noise from the world and breathe. Meditation and mindfulness are underrated; they help you find your inner self, connect with God, and explore. Sometimes all it takes is just listening to good music, seeing a movie, dancing alone in the shower, self-affirmations, admiring the beauty of the of the sky, the birds, and how beautifully you're created to feel alive again.
Eating right. Many people associate eating junk food with living life; today they eat pizza, tomorrow they eat shawarma, next tomorrow they consume soda, and it goes on and on like. What kills a person faster is what they consume, which is why we should eat right. Taking balanced meals, eating veggies, reducing our intake of soda and sugar, and drinking enough water are ways we can practice self-care.
Do what you love. This is another form of self-care. Many people are putting their lives on hold and living another person's life because they fear what people might say. It's about time to live your life to the fullest and do what you love because you only live once!
Practice good hygiene and make a constant effort to look good, smell nice and stay happy.
Feed your soul with healthy things, watch wholesome movies, read books, stay around positive people that motivate you to push beyond your limit, and stay away from anyone toxic. Do not be a people-pleaser; be yourself.
Learn to accept who you are, practice self-acceptance, embrace imperfections, and condition your mind that it's okay to make mistakes. Every time you fall, cheer yourself up, get up, and learn from your fall. Be kind to yourself as much as you will love to show compassion to others; it begins with you. Learn to set realistic goals and avoid comparing yourself to others.
Have a gratitude journal where you celebrate your little wins and stay thankful for the little things in life like food, friends, nature, love, and peace of mind. Every time you see a new sunrise, write down what you are grateful for. This helps you stay positive for the rest of the day.
When we all practice self-care, we will have enough care and love to give to others.
A𝖒𝖎𝖊,
ᵀʰᵉ ᵍⁱʳˡ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵃ ᵇⁱᵍ ʰᵉᵃʳᵗ ❤
This post was inspired by the daily prompt on the #inleo community and this is my response to the #Marchinleo day 29 prompt, wanna get involved too? Check this out.