Self Care: Why is it important?
Well for starters did you know that it is in the dictionary now?
I don’t know if that makes it any more legitimate but Merriam-Webster dictionary describes self care as, “care for ones self, the act of attending to one’s physical or mental health, generally without medical or other professional consultation.”
So, why is it SO important and what are you missing out on?
Self care is important because it allows you to remove all the noise that is going on in your life. This space that you take with yourself allows you to focus on YOU.
That’s right, it’s not being selfish. You have to love on yourself just as much or even more I would argue to be able to be the best version of yourself.
I like to think of self care like the battery on my iPhone.
When I am at 100% I am working great, able to make all the phone calls, remind myself of any upcoming events for the day and text with friends and family members at full capacity.
When I drop to 20% similarly to my iPhone I move a lot slower, can’t remember as much, start glitching and it is an overall bad experience for myself and the person that I am communicating with.
When we don’t take care of ourselves we will often times become burnt out and this can lead to resentment in our lives.
One last image for you all is that I imagine that when my self care is lacking I cannot be the wife, friend, daughter, sister, aunt or acquaintance that I want to be.
You know why?
Because how the heck am I supposed to be able to be there for anyone else if I first can’t be there for myself?
No really I am asking for a friend.
Here are some ways that I practice self care:
Go for a walk and listen to a podcast or favorite artist.
Draw
Paint
Go on a picnic with my husband
Call a friend
Take a bath
Read a book
Do some breath-work
There are so many ways that YOU can practice self care but I want to stress the importance of why it is so critical to your health.
Self care allows you to connect with yourself and allows you to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself.
It also promotes good feelings, boosts your confidence and overall allows you to feel strong and able to take on the world.
When you pay attention to what you need you are allowing yourself to be the best version possible for not only you but others around you.
Try some self care and let me know what you think!
Xo,
Ali Lynn Kates
