Self-Care is vital always, but during times of stress it’s even more important. If that is so, then we do we often de-prioritize self-care? Here are a few possible reasons:
The term is over-used: “self-care” is such a popular term these days, and sometimes it’s thrown around in ways that really aren’t related to increasing well-being. This can cause us to glaze over when we hear the term, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t good reasons to practice self-care.
We view it as weakness: Self-care isn’t something people practice because they aren’t resilient…self-care is the practice of resilient people and why they are able to boost their resiliency. Whether it’s to prevent a problem, or to heal from one, self-care is a habit of wellness and strength.
We back-burner self-care because it’s not an emergency: With so many changes and urgent needs, it’s easy to put off a new meditation practice or getting more sleep. It my not seem important when there is a lot to do, but actually it is more important during times of stress and uncertainty. This doesn’t mean we need to pile-on a bunch of tasks. It can be as simple as stopping to focus on breathing for 30 seconds every hour. We can start small and make our habits do-able in order to set ourselves up for success. Don’t punish yourself for failure, just identify opportunities for improvement. Think of practices you can do with your child or encourage your child to do on their own.
It feels selfish: We all know the analogy about the airplane and putting the oxygen masks on ourselves before helping others. That applies to emotional self-care too sometimes. Remember, we are teaching our children how to take care of themselves by modeling self-care for them.
We know self-care is important, but new habits are hard: We have a great tip for you called the sandwich principle:
“When you add a new habit, sandwich it between two habits you consistently practice consecutively. It’s much more likely to stick,” she says. “For example, sit to meditate between brushing your teeth and showering.”
https://www.prevention.com/health/mental-health/g25935471/self-care-routine/
We hope you find this tip helpful in making self-care part of your day!
OKPTA Cultivate 