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For a long a time, I have been extending love outwards, because I was taught to be kind to others, care for others and be generous to others. Yet, when it comes to showing compassion for myself, I am always neglectful or feel guilty for being “selfish”. But through talking to leaders, doing research, and from my own experiences, I realized that self-care is crucial to your own health, and builds a foundation for personal success.
Many of us have so many responsibilities that we often forget to take care of ourselves. When we don’t properly take care of ourselves, we can’t fully take care of others. Think of it this way: when we get on an airplane they always tell us that in a case of emergency, we should always put our own oxygen mask first then try to help others. It’s the same concept when it comes to self-care.
Self-care is crucial for our physical, emotional and mental well-being, thus we should never neglect it. Here are some steps you can take to help care for yourself:
Self-love: The pinnacle of self-care is self-love. As my business partner and a close friend mentioned in his article: Self-love, in my opinion, is the single most important “skill” or “trait” you can acquire. Why? Because if you truly love yourself, you won’t lie to yourself. (you can read the full article here) self-love is parallel to self-awareness. If you love yourself, you will continue to improve yourself. By improving yourself, you will achieve more of your goals and desires. In doing so, you will have more energy to love and care for others. By taking care of yourself you will be more effective, efficient and overall better.
If you love yourself, you will continue to improve yourself. By improving yourself, you will achieve more of your goals and desires.
Start living, stop existing: Are you living or simply existing? Are you just doing what you have to do to get by or are you living life to the fullest? How much of your time do you spend doing things you love? I encourage you to ask yourself these question to really figure out the life you are living now. Start living like how you really want to live and do the things really make you happy. Go to the event you always wanted to go to, go see your favorite artist perform or even go listen to your favorite author speak. Do the little things that really matter to you. Try to find your purpose through the things that you really love. Be honest to yourself and say no to the things you really don’t like and, BE TRUTHFUL. Stop living the way people want you to, and start living the way you want to.
Better physical health: When we think about self-care we often think about our mental health, however physical health is as important when it comes to self-care. Physical self-care can include getting eight hours of sleep every night, exercising, running, taking a long walk or preparing a healthy and wholesome meal three times a day. By prioritizing things like sleep and nutrition, you are taking care of your body internally and externally.
Connect with yourself: Self-care means learning to recognize your emotions and building that self-awareness. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses can really help you understand who you are as a person and help you connect with yourself. Meditation often helps because it helps you build awareness. One of the main aspects of connecting with yourself is understanding your feelings and accepting them. It’s important to accept your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Another great way to connect can be engaging in solo activities that you find energizing or calming.
Connect with others: Connecting with others, also known as social self-care, means taking time to cultivate your relationships. Relationships are important because they are the nutrients to your successes and the medicines to your failures. You can practice social self-care by spending quality time with individuals who uplift and support you emotionally, socially, financially, such as friends, family, and loved ones. Social self-care also means creating new, meaningful friendships and connections.
Practicing self-care in all aspects of your life can help you cultivate yourself. When you take care of yourself, you get a sense of being cared for and loved for. Then you are able to give out the same energy towards others. It’s never too late to take care of yourself! ALWAYS LOVE YOURSELF BECAUSE THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO LOVES YOU!