It’s International Self Care Day!
Every year on July 24th, International Self Care Day promotes self-care as a vital foundation of health. It’s also a day for people around the world to prioritize self-care and make it a part of their lifestyle.
When you take care of yourself to stay well, you are practicing self-care. Staying well includes taking care of your whole self: physically, mentally, and emotionally. For some, self-care also includes taking care of themselves spiritually. So what exactly does self-care look like? It could be as simple as having some quiet time each day. Others might have coffee with a friend at least once a week.
Other examples of self-care include:
- Having a regular sleep routine
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Keeping a reflective journal
- Practicing gratitude
- Getting a massage
- Listening to relaxing music
- Reading a good book
- Learning to say no
- Asking for help when necessary
There are other areas of self-care that some focus on as well. For example, financial self-care involves paying bills on time and putting money into savings. Monitoring time on social media and decluttering your home are included in environmental self-care.
No matter what kind of self-care one practices, one is bound to reap benefits. Having a healthier mind and body are the two primary benefits. Other benefits of self-care include feeling less stressed and being less overwhelmed. Self-care is especially important for caregivers. It’s easy for a caregiver to pour all of their time and energy into another person. Doing so eventually takes its toll. As the saying goes, “You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.”
