In this post: We’re busting some self-care myths and sharing what self-care REALLY is! If you’ve ever wondered what is self-care or thought that it is something only selfish people do, then this post is for you!
The term self-care is bandied about regularly on lifestyle and personal development blogs but have you ever stopped to wonder what is self-care really?
Unless you’ve done some research or read a post like this one, your mind probably jumps to things like bubble baths, pedicures and spray tans.
And while those things CAN be a form of self-care, in reality, it is about so much more than a pamper session. In fact, this type of pampering might not feature for you at all when you practise your own form of self-care…
So what is self-care really then?
It’s any action you take to care for yourself, including things like your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health (scroll down for some examples of self-care).
And while some people might immediately feel like this makes self-care an intrinsically selfish act (because it’s essentially all about you), it is a VITAL part of living a healthy, happy life.
Why?
Why self-care is so important?
Well, you might have heard of the saying that you can’t pour from an empty cup and it is so SO true!!
Let me share an analogy with you that I recently heard while listening to Rachel Hollis’s audiobook, Girl, Stop Apologising.
Imagine that you are a vase and you are being filled with fresh, nourishing water (I know, it’s a little strange but bear with me!) and you are surrounded by your loved ones: your family and friends.
Our natural reaction, especially as women, is to tip ourselves here and there to spread our water to those around us. But as the water gets down, we have to tip further and further and end up falling over and breaking.
Now we can’t nurture anyone around us.
BUT if we just stayed up straight, what will happen is that the water that is filling us up will eventually overflow onto those around us anyway and everyone receives the benefits of that nourishing water.
THIS is why self-care is SO important!
Psst! Ready to get started with your own self-care practice? You’ll love The Ultimate Self-Care Workbook I created! You can grab it for FREE by clicking the image below.
As someone who used to put everyone else’s needs before my own, because it felt selfish and I felt undeserving, I know what happens when it goes on for too long. You burn out and then you are useless (and possibly even a burden) to others.
It took me MONTHS to recharge after burning out. Months of feeling exhausted and dragging myself through life.
Needless to say, nowadays practising self-care is one of my highest priorities!!
Self-care can be anything that nourishes you
The analogy above refers to a vase being filled with water and, even though we aren’t really vases (thank goodness!), filling our bodies with plenty of water and nutrients from healthy foods are great forms of self-care for us humans as well.
But self-care can be anything that nourishes and energises you. It’s all about making yourself feel well and balanced.
It can include things like:
- Exercising
- Being creative
- Relaxing
- Journaling
- Doing something that inspires you
- Going for a walk in nature
- Having fun
- Connecting with others
- Meditating
- Doing a hobby
- Taking regular breaks during work
For a huge list of ideas, see my post 85+ Self-Care Ideas For When You’re Feeling Stressed
Benefits of self-care
From our example above, we saw that self-care is actually beneficial to those around you (because you have more capacity to give), but there are plenty of personal benefits of self-care too:
- Avoid burn out
- Feel calmer and less stressed
- Be less emotionally reactive
- Have a greater sense of wellbeing & satisfaction
- Improve your focus & productivity
- Get to know yourself better as you take some time for yourself
- Build your self-esteem
- Increase your happiness
- Have a better work-life balance
- Improve your health: physical, mental, emotional & spiritual, depending on what self-care activities you practise
- Feel more vibrant (& have more to give others!)
Getting started with self-care
Luckily, getting started with self-care doesn’t have to be hard. You can start to implement just 5 minutes of self-care to start with – choose one thing that will give you some calm during a busy day or boost your energy when you’re feeling tired.
Need help getting started? I’ve created a self-care guide just for you! It walks you through exactly how to start your own self-care practise PLUS there’s a fun self-care menu, success tips & tracker.
Grab your FREE copy by entering your details below!
Here’s to you feeling good and living vibrantly with the help of self-care!!
Much love,
Sarah xo
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