In these pandemic times, there are increasing efforts to raise awareness on mental health, in media outlets and social media. I had never given much thought about it, so today I ask myself what is self care, and what it means to me.
According to Lexico.com, self care is “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.”
There are plenty of articles on the internet, giving helpful advice and tips on self care methods and clarifying which methods or behaviours are not self care. What is important is to define what self care is to each one of us and what it entails.
For me, self care is learning to manage my negative thoughts and emotions, and learning how to say ‘no’ when I need to.
Negative thoughts and emotions contribute to heightened stress levels, which in turn further amplifies the negative thoughts and emotions. Rather than ruminating in them, I want to view things from a different perspective, and turn these negative thoughts and emotions into a driving force towards a better tomorrow, a better me. At times, I need to let go of the situations and the people that give rise to these negative thoughts and emotions; self care is not self pity.
Learning to say ‘no’ is the hardest. That gnawing and uncomfortable feeling of guilt after saying ‘no’ and the risk of disappointing those who mean so much to you. Saying ‘no’ is not about being selfish, it is about prioritising what is important to your well-being.
Self cares means differently to people. The important commonality is that self care contributes to your physical and mental well-being, including eating healthy, keeping fit and learning to manage our stresses and emotions.
Hands to Heads 