Well, as you can see, based on the title of this post, our main focus is going to be about self-care. I figured why not write this in a time that I am attempting to do this for myself as well! So, without further or do, here we go!
I think that everyone knows it's important to take care of ourselves in different ways, but I don't think we always remember that taking care of ourselves means more than washing your face and brushing your hair and showering, and yadda, yadda, yadda. But it can mean all of those things in addition to taking care of your mental health, how you're living your life day to day, what you're thinking and focusing on, and so on. Now, some of you, maybe, wondering, "But, why is it important for us to monitor those things too?", and I understand why someone may wonder that.
Firstly, it certainly is not something that you see talked about as much when you're younger. Secondly, it is important to think about for a variety of reasons. One reason being, when it comes to mental health and what you're thinking and focusing on, we manifest what it is that we focus on. If you focus on negative things, more likely than not, there's going to be a lot of negative things either happening to you, around you or both. If you think positively, you may still face negative things, but more likely than not you may have more positive things happen to you or around you. When it comes to mental health, as someone who struggles with mental health myself, I know first hand how important it is to check in on yourself and keep myself in check when and if I can on what it is I am focusing on. Mental health is a serious thing and if you aren't taking care of yourself with everything including your mental health it can affect you physically as well. Stress, anxiety, depression, all of it manifests itself in really odd ways sometimes, in addition to how it would normally manifest itself. When it comes to these mental things especially, do NOT be afraid to ask for HELP! Whether it be from parents, siblings, friends, or even therapists reach out and get help if you need it. I know there is a negative stigma around this topic, but I also know that there are people like myself who are trying to switch that stigma from a negative to a positive. If you've thought about seeing a therapist but have been scared or uncertain of going to one, please, please, know it can help you. I have gone to see one in the past. It was scary for me, I didn't want to be vulnerable and open with someone I didn't know, but in the end, it did help me get through what I was dealing with. At the end of the day, the bottom line comes down to if it will help you. If you think it could help, try it!
How you live your day to day life can mean a lot too, and can impact you in various ways. If you're in a high-stress job or trying to juggle a lot of things at the same time, or you are living a lifestyle that maybe you feel doesn't fit you very well it is going to affect you, and everyone differently. We all have different stressors we deal with. But, all of these things are why self-care is important. We have to take care of ourselves because at the end of the day all we have is ourselves. Now, that may seem like an untrue statement if you are someone in a relationship of some sort, or someone may read that and think, "well that doesn't seem right because I have my friends, family, spouse", or any type of thought like that. Yes, you may have all of those things. And that is fantastic if you do, and you should be grateful for that because not everyone has those things. However, what I mean is even if you have all of those things, not all of them can always help you take care of yourself. Sometimes it is even more important for you to take care of yourself because it is important for you to be there for you. There are times when we are the only ones who will know what is best for us and know what we need when we need it. Sometimes the things we need most we can only be given by ourselves. Some things need to be an inside job, and though in a moment and time, we may think someone else can help us get the relief we need, that may not always be the case.
Self-care for one person may look different for another. Sometimes a bath is a form of self-care that someone may need. Another may go out and work on gardening or fixing things. Someone may just make themselves a cup of tea, or a drink, or a snack. Self-care for someone else may be talking to a loved one like family, a spouse, or friends. One person's self-care may look like listening to music, or going for a walk or run. For someone, limiting the time they spend around certain people, whether that be friends, or family, or whoever, that could also be someone's form of self-care too. You never know, but one thing that all of these have in common is that they are a form of self-care that helps individuals be there for themselves, it helps them check in with themself, and can help them deal with stress and tough situations in a way that is healthy for them. I just want to say one more thing before I end this post. I do strongly encourage all of you to keep in touch with yourself. Be there for yourself when you need to be. DO NOT be afraid to ASK for HELP! I know it's hard, trust me, but if you need it, seek it out. There are a lot of good places to get help, and if you don't know where to start maybe reach out to family or friends first and if you need more than that, then I'd say start by doing some research and see if you can't find something that may work for you. Because help is out there, that is one promise I can guarantee!
I hope you enjoyed this post, and I hope it provided you with some type of insight into why I think self-care is important. I just know that if you can be there for yourself in various ways it can have a positive impact on you and your life as a whole. I love you all very much and I will see you again soon!
Best regards,
The Inspiring Hummingbird!