Everyone gets stressed every now and then, and for some, it happens more often than others. Whether it stems from school, work, finances, relationships, or any random responsibility, stress is bound to happen. In fact, according to ADDA, 16.1 million adults in America deal with depression and this oftentimes comes from chronic stress. And let's face it -life is hard. Being an adult, student, professional, or whatever you are all comes with challenges that can almost seem intolerable as they arise. That is when we think it's time for "self-care."
Self-care is often thought of as taking a bubble bath, doing a face mask, sleeping, eating chocolate, or indulging in something of that sort. Whenever you are stressed or overwhelmed, your first instinct is to turn to these select activities, thinking it holds some kind of problem-solving healing power. While it may allow you to feel better for a short while, avoidance will certainly not fix your problems.
It's time to realize that you deserve to truly take care of yourself when challenges emerge. I find that for me personally, meditation, getting a massage or my nails done, going away for vacation or eating junk food does more harm than good. Don't get me wrong -these activities are nice every once and a while, and everyone should treat themselves, but it can become harmful to begin to rely on them as it creates the tendency to turn to immediate satisfaction rather than facing your problems head-on and working through possible solutions.
The self-care that is glorified and encouraged can be misleading and even detrimental to one's health and well-being. Imagine this scenario: you have had a rough week at work, a disagreement with a friend, and on top of this your air conditioning breaks down. Life sucks at this point and you are at rock bottom. You then say that you deserve multiple glasses of wine and spend the next couple days on the couch sleeping and watching Netflix. The next time another issue comes into your life, you do this same thing again, and a destructive habit is born and repeated.
Adopting a growth mindset is a form of self-care that no one talks about. Putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation is undoubtedly daunting, but if you are ultimately caring for yourself, and taking steps forward to improving your life and getting to a point where you feel refreshed and in a good place emotionally, then it is definitely worth it. Real self-care is not solely about facing your issues rather than running away. It includes anything you can do to better yourself or even others. Whether this means going to school and diligently working toward your dream career, trying a different method to reach a goal that you previously did not meet, living an active lifestyle to meet your fitness goal, or even reaching out to someone and asking for help when you need it.
Self-care is not limited to a certain group of things that you may see on social media. There is no distinct definition or formula. Rather, it is what you believe you need to do to stay true to yourself, and this will be different for everyone.
When you practice this form of self-care, you are setting yourself up to be the best possible version of yourself which affects other people. When you are at your full potential, you can then fully pour your heart into whatever you do. As Ali Washington once said, "By taking care of myself I have so much more to offer to the world than I do when I am running on empty."
When you do what you need to do to become your better self, even if the steps involved are not convenient, pleasurable, or easy, remember that you are not only improving the quality of your own life but those of others as well.
