Should You Feel Guilty About Self-Care? We Say No

We all know that taking care of our body is one of the most important factors to maintaining good health. Brushing our teeth, washing our hair, eating right, exercising, these are all drummed into us from a young age as the pillars of good health, but one thing we don’t talk about often enough is looking after our mental health.

Sure, personal hygiene and eating correctly are all factors in our mental health, but self-care goes a lot deeper than doing the bare minimum to survive.

When work, family and sometimes even friends take up a lot of our mental capacity, it can be hard to take time to stop helping or looking after others and spend a bit of time on you.

Have a think when the last time was that you did something purely and selfishly for yourself, without it benefiting someone else. For some of us, that moment might be rare to never.

Let’s have a look at some things we can do to support our mental wellbeing

Embrace Mindfulness

Mindfulness has received a lot of attention in recent times and for good reason. Mindfulness is most commonly described as having an awareness of one’s internal state and surroundings and feeling in the moment without judgment. In the fast-paced world that we live in, it can be very easy to live moment to moment without taking a look at what is going on around us. Take time to stop, look, listen and breathe and enjoy the beauty around you.

Plan a Technology Detox

Social media can be extremely toxic for our mental health. Comparing ourselves to what might seem on screen to the perfect lives of others, or constantly being bombarded with all the negative things happening in the world can take a massive toll on our underlying happiness. Taking time away from social media and news outlets even for a couple of hours a day can give your brain the rest it needs. There are apps available that can block you from using apps or websites for periods of time, which can be helpful for those of us with poor self control.

Take Time To Meditate

Meditation does not have to be sitting cross-legged for hours, listening to panpipes and trying to contact a higher being. Even taking 5 minutes to focus on your breathing, clear your head and slow your heart rate can work wonders to calm the mind, help with our stress and anxiety levels and settle our emotions. Trying to incorporate a 5 minute meditation once a day can help you unlock a calmer, more grounded self. 

Enjoy a pamper hour

In our busy lives, it can be hard to just disconnect. Plan in an hour whenever you can to take a do your favourite hobby, read that book you have been meaning to finish, go for a walk or just sit outside and listen to the birds. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

While it all can be easier said than done, self-care can, in turn, also take care of others around us. When we feel happier, that positivity rubs off on the people we care about.  Remember that self-care if not selfish, it is essential for overall well-being. Why not plan your self-care moment now.