By Arpita Bhandari
Understanding Self-care
According to Psychcentral.com self care is “any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health.” Common examples of self care are things like exercising, eating well or meditating, leisure activities. The concept of self-care itself is very subjective in nature. It is equally vital to understand what self-care isn’t. The most crucial thing about self care is that it must feel good to you. Self care can have a different perspective for everyone, and that’s okay. At its core, it means to do something that one thoroughly enjoys and not something that we force ourselves to do. Dr Agnes Wainman, a clinical psychologist, explains, self-care is “something that refuels us, rather than takes from us.”
With the ongoing covid-19 crises, it becomes more important than ever that one takes out some time daily from his/her schedule to practice self-care.
Its OK if your self-care looks different from theirs
With the hubbub around the concept on all kinds of social media platforms, the idea of self-care has been romanticized and glorified to a massive extent. It’s important to have an understanding of the concept and that it revolves around oneself. Self-care is investing in yourself. It is about making yourself a priority while being in touch with your emotions. Self care is what one does to release distress. One shouldn’t feel guilty or selfish for indulging in some “me time”. It is important to remind ourselves time and again that self-care isn’t necessarily a cake walk contrary to what is often depicted on social media and movies. It can be a tremendously heavy process for some as each individual is unique in their ways of expressing and dealing with distress.
No journey of any individual can be put for comparison as it takes an immense amount of effort and energy for someone to arrive at where they want to be.
Tips to practice self-care
Some of the ways in which one can practice self care is through-
● Meditating – meditation activates awareness and attention, quieting your mind.
● Practicing gratitude – a daily thank you note to yourself will open doorways to abundance.
● Seeking help and support – There is nothing more human than acknowledging your emotions and asking for help and support in times of need. Helping yourself by asking for help is an act of self care.
● Indulging in leisure activities – Any activity such as dancing, painting, cooking, exercising or reading a book can act as a way of self care. Do what makes you happy and not what others wish you to do.
● Journaling – Daily journaling can release the pent up emotions and thoughts. This helps in better understanding and releasing of self-judgement.
I deeply believe “Self-care must be about pausing, taking time for yourself, making yourself a priority to heal and grow. So unplug to be still and enjoy every breath.” – Arpita Bhandari
About the Author
Arpita Bhandari, Life Strategist, Interior Designer and Founder of Arpita B Design Studio
