Self care looks different in everyone. Where one person will want to do one thing, someone else will want to do something entirely different, and that’s okay. Self care does not mean that you are going through a list of things and ticking them off because they should make you feel better. It’s about doing things that you think will help you to feel better, and usually these are personal to you.
Of course, you might find people who have the same self care habits as you, but there are billions of people on this planet so that is bound to happen. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the ways that people practice self care, so keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.
Taking A Long Bath
For one person, self care might mean taking a long bath, complete with bubble bath, bath salts, candles and a relaxing atmosphere. It’s hard to hold on to all of the stress of the day, but a lot of the time you will do this unknowingly.
When you get into a bath like this, you will be able to feel the stress melt away as you sit in the warm water and soak up the calm atmosphere. Some people find this particularly helpful if they have a high-stress job, are a parent, or if they often find it difficult to relax.
This takes care of your getting clean responsibility for the day, but also gives you some time away from everything to just chill out on your own, and not have to listen to anyone or anything. It can be like heaven for these 30/40 minutes, where others would just find it boring.
Stepping Back From Responsibilities
In some people, self care can come in the form of stepping back from some of your responsibilities. Now, we know that this can be tough depending on what they are, but if you need the break then you need the break, and you need to figure out a way to have it.
If it’s your job that you need a break from, then you can use some of your sick days to take a couple of days off, or you can take the days off without pay, it’s up to you. But, don’t feel as though you have to keep going to work every single day if you are reaching a breaking point. This is not healthy for you, and it’s going to drive you to a point where you explode.
It might even be true that you feel as though you need a break from your kids. A lot of people worry that this makes them a bad parent, but it doesn’t, it simply makes you human. If you are struggling and need some time, then you can ask your partner, or even your parents if they can manage with the kids for a couple of days just to give you a break.
Taking care of yourself is important, because you are no good to anyone else if you are not in a good place yourself.
Maintaining Your Looks
For others, maintaining your looks is a form of self care because it’s important to them. There’s nothing wrong with this, and anyone who says that there is should mind their own business.
For example, if you are completing a skin care routine regularly, this is to keep your skin in good condition so that it looks the best it can, right? There is nothing wrong with wanting to look your best, so if this is something that you want to do to take care of yourself, then do it.
There are people out there who are not confident in the way that they look, and it can be heavily impacting their mental health. If this is the case, then you need to make some changes as soon as possible. We want to note here that we are not trying to advocate anyone to change anything that they don’t want to, and we only encourage you to make physical changes if this is something that will make you happy.
You can look into your options depending on what the problem area is. For example, if it’s your nose then you can look into what qualifies someone as a candidate for rhinoplasty, or if it’s your tummy, look at ways to tone up or a tummy tuck.
Exercising Regularly
Exercise is fantastic for your physical health and for your mental health, so it’s no surprise that a lot of people use this as a form of self care. You can either do this at home, head to the gym, go on regular walks or runs, or whatever you feel most comfortable doing. The point of this is that you need to keep your muscles warm, and get your blood pumping.
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins which are natural mood enhancers and painkillers, instantly making you feel better. It’s why you feel so good after a workout, and why people continue to do this.
If exercise is your form of self care, then you need to make sure that you are making time for it. There are a lot of excuses in the world for not exercising, but you shouldn’t be making them if you see it as a form of self care, and you use it as such.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of different ways that self care looks in different people. When it comes to looking after yourself and giving yourself the break or the treatment that you need, it doesn’t look the same as it will for the next person.
Self care is all about doing what you need to do for your own health, not anyone else’s, and that means following whatever path you believe to be best. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that this has been helpful.