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Self-Care: Why Every Woman Needs It

2023-04-25T01:18:43+00:00

By irevealinglight

Self-care does not equate ‘selfishness’ as some people might think. There is a time for everything under the sun – so says the wisest man of all time. As a woman, you need to make self-care a priority without feeling guilty. Let it be on your daily to-do list.You don’t have to work till you drop or start exhibiting traits of the popular Forgetful Jones on Sesame Street before you realize you need self-care. So, what is self-care?Self-care is the awareness and deliberate continuous practice of doing things that preserve or improve your mental, social, physical, emotional and spiritual health. In another sense, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as the “ability of individuals, families…to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider.” The self-help author, Melody Beattie says self-care is an “attitude toward ourselves and our lives that says, I am responsible for myself.”If you want to boost your total health and well-being, it is necessary for you to know the importance of self-care and practice it daily.

Why Do You Need Self-Care As a Woman?

1. Your configuring demands it

Most women are configured or ‘wired’ to multitask. It’s something that is second nature to them, even if they want to believe otherwise. So, assuming you’re a remote worker, and you’re going to be speaking to a potential client on the phone, while also feeding your two-year-old and at the same time trying to help your 6-year-old with a Math addition problem, it’s a must to practice self-care if you want to keep functioning at your full capacity without breaking down. Daily self-care practice is needed to boost your energy levels, reinvigorate you and help you cope with daily multi-tasking activities.

1. To thrive better

It’s a given fact that most people, especially women thrive and blossom more when they pamper or take care of themselves the right way. They are more alert, more willing to listen, more radiant and yes – nicer too. Show me a grouchy and constantly irritated lady and I will show you a woman that is over-stressed and probably suffering from depression. She’s calling out for help, but many can’t hear because they have their own issues to deal with. Before you get to that breaking point of being mad at people for no tangible reason, why not start taking a few minutes each day to do something you love? It could be as simple as watching a comedy show, eating more veggies, or as elaborate as going to a Spa. Of course, the latter can be pre-arranged for once in two weeks or as you like. Just do something!

3. You can’t pour from an empty can

As women, we are known for giving more and more of ourselves to others. Whether at work or to our businesses, we instinctively grind twice as hard as our male counterparts, to our children, husbands, families and even to our community too. When you keep giving off yourself and not replenishing or taking care of yourself, you burn out, become literally drained or even fall sick. Then, you can no longer help yourself or those that need your help. “You can’t cheat nature.” That’s why you shouldn’t joke with your vacations; use them to rest, rekindle relationships, refresh and re-fire.

4. To reduce the risk of health issues

Health issues can affect anyone at any point in time. But you can reduce the risk of health diseases and heart attacks if you practise self-care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends regular “physical activity to help maintain a healthy weight and lower your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.” This physical activity can be brisk walking, swimming or cycling etc. Also, when it comes to food and drink, opt for the healthier kind. The truth is, we know these things but making that commitment to follow through has been our drawback. We need to make a plan and start putting self-care into the 1^st and 2^nd quadrants of our time-urgent and important, not urgent but important.

Now that you know the importance of self-care, let’s look at how we can practice it.

5 Different Ways of Practising Self-Care:

Mental self-care: Your mental health matters a lot. Some examples of good mental self-care practices can take the form of listening to a favourite music or podcast, reading a book, playing video games, doing crossword puzzles (if you love them), taking a break and practising mindfulness etc.
Social self-care: Some people can connect and engage with every other person but can’t connect with their inner self. One good way of practising social self-care is by engaging in self-reflection. Don’t just call people up and talk with them, this is good but also call yourself up. Do some self-reflection; you may be surprised by what you’ll discover. Texting a friend, going on a date with your partner or spouse, calling your parents regularly etc. are also good social self-care practices.
Physical self-care: This involves simple things like preparing and eating a healthy meal, taking a bath, drinking lots of water (not sugary drinks), engaging in supervised exercises (if you’re new to them), taking a walk, practising good posture, and deep breathing exercises etc.
Emotional self-care: When we are aware of our emotions and the emotions of others, we can regulate them and be able to cope with difficult feelings and situations. Some self-care practices for our emotional well-being include practising gratitude, journalling as a way to express our thoughts and feelings, practising positive affirmations, meditations, and talking to a therapist or health coach or just talking to a good friend etc.
Spiritual self-care: Some people derive a lot of joy from spiritual self-care and this improves their overall well-being. Spiritual self-care includes things like reading and meditating on spiritual literature books, praying, going for spiritual retreats far away from the hustle and bustle of society, connecting with nature and also fasting. A good number of people have recorded feeling better after a fast, not only spiritually but physically and mentally too.

Here’s a little self-care assessment to check if you are doing what you need to do. There are no right or wrong answers. You can also add to it or remove what you don’t want from the assessment. It’s just a guide.Remember, you are responsible for yourself. All you need is a little dose of self-care each day and you would be on your way to feeling terrific inside out as the days and months roll by.All the best!

Efe Lisa Ifezuo

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irevealinglight

Efe Lisa is an author, ghostwriter and a freelancer with COINSCRIBES (General Transcription, proofreading, content Online writing Service). She is also an Emotional Health counselor/manager. Her writings are based on faith, real life, family, relationships, and beyond the four walls of school. The aim is to Reveal, Encourage, Strengthen and Transform (R.E.S.T.) She is married with children.