What is self care?
Self care is exactly what it sounds like – taking care of yourself. This includes anything that benefits your mental, emotional or physical health. It’s a topic that seems incredibly simple but is often ignored.. Think back to that fitness class you skipped or the group dinner you missed because a work deadline was approaching. Yes – friendships and work are important and significant aspects of our lives, but it’s easy fall into the trap of putting all of our energy into these external relationships and responsibilities. We need to become better at striking a balance and saving energy for the relationship we have with ourselves.
Recently, there’s been somewhat of a “self-care” movement and people are speaking out about the importance of prioritizing personal wellbeing. By taking the time to care for yourself, you’re better able to approach relationships, responsibilities and challenges. Self care routines have been linked to increased productivity, stronger immune systems, more confidence, and greater feelings of happiness. By prioritizing personal wellbeing, you’ll have more to give to others and will likely learn something about yourself as well.
3 steps to start your self care routine
Keep it simple
It’s easy to view self care as something luxurious, lavish, or even selfish, but self care is very simple. Self care is anything you enjoy doing that brings you happiness. It can be something simple like going for a bike ride, taking a bath, reading your favorite book, or sitting in a coffee shop.
Shift your mindset
It’s possible you’re already practicing self care regularly, but not viewing it that way. For example, maybe you have an upcoming dinner scheduled with some friends. Rather than looking at it as another event to squeeze onto your calendar, approach the dinner as an opportunity to recharge and enjoy yourself. Focus on staying present and appreciate your company so that you can walk away from the dinner refreshed.
Schedule it in advance
Typically, when life gets busy, our self care routines are the first thing to go. We begin to prioritize only our external commitments.. By setting aside time for yourself in advance, you’ll be more likely to actually follow through. Even if you can only fit in 5 minutes, try to incorporate a small dose of self care daily.
Move This World with Self Care
At Move This World we’re kicking off 2018 by prioritizing our own self care and we want you to do the same. We’ll be sharing a new tip each Sunday on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with #SelfCareSundayMTW. We’ll also be sharing our own self care practices and posting more self care ideas on the blog throughout the month. Get involved by posting your own pictures showing how you practice self care with the hashtag #MTWwithSelfCare.
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