How much do you know about self-care and what it means for your mental health? The term “self-care” is self-explanatory and it’s a practice that can do wonders for the mind, body and soul.
Too often we get caught up with the frustrations of work and life in general and we become easily irritated when things don’t go our way. We are easily stressed out and feel as if we are at our wit’s end.
The truth is we become so caught up with “work” that we forget to live. We forget about what is really important in life; we get so caught up in trying to make as much money as we can to buy as many material things as we can, while neglecting what is really important—spiritual connections, a feeling of peace, contentment and tranquility. We forget that the life we live is a borrowed one and that we should be valuing family much more than we do, and that we should show more kindness to our fellow man. Have you ever heard the saying, “Smile and the world smiles with you?” Well, it means that you get what you give… if you find balance in your life and you are at peace with yourself, the world will be at peace with you.
We sometimes have this misconception that taking care of our own needs makes us selfish. To the contrary, we must take good care of ourselves first to be able to put out our best forward and to be good with those around us.
So how do we go about mastering the art of self-care? We start by reminding ourselves that it’s okay to not feel okay and that we have to take time for ourselves and do things that make us feel better. Here are some tips for taking better care of yourself:
● Staying in tune with your spiritual side: This
can mean finding peace and solace in your
religion or whatever gives you peace of mind.
Activities like yoga, meditation or simply
observing nature’s beauty can also be
extremely therapeutic and relaxing to the body
and mind.
● Treat yourself: It’s not every day that you buy
nice clothes, visit the spa or go on that much
needed vacation. Self-reward is good. Working
hard means that you should be able to reap the
fruits of your labour.
● Learn a new language: Not everyone has the
money to travel the world and that’s fine. But
learning a new language is a different and
exciting way to learn about a new culture.
When you learn a new language, you’re also
improving brain function. Apart from it being
cool to speak another language, it also widens
your professional prospects, so… ¡A empezar!
● Enjoy fine cuisine and throw in a glass of red
wine: While there’s nothing wrong with a
home cooked meal, it’s sometimes nice not to
have to do the cooking. Whether you choose to
dine solo is entirely up to you but a nice meal
with a couple of glasses of red wine will not
only make your tummy happy but will bring
your senses to life. Wine doesn’t only make for
a good food companion, it’s also good for the
heart!
● Music and Dance: Apart from it being a good
physical activity to help you break a sweat,
dancing to good music releases happy
hormones that give us that natural, feel good
sensation. By the time you’re done dancing,
you will forget about whatever was bothering
you.
● Get a new hobby: We become so used to
routine that we end up feeling “bored.” Having
a new hobby means having something different
and exciting to do. Whether it’s art classes or
reading more books, your brain will thank you
for it.
When life seems to get hard, it’s completely okay to take a time out to refresh and recharge. Taking time to care for yourself is a key to peace, tranquility, happiness and ultimately to maintaining healthy relations with those around you.
Alicia Roopnaraine is a Psychologist at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Psychiatric Department and also sees patients privately. You can send questions, comments or schedule a private consultation at aliciaroopnaraine@gmail.com
