Modern life can be hectic at times. Many people are stuck among work or school obligations, significant relationships, enjoyable hobbies, maintaining physical health, keeping our houses neat, and doing kind things for other people. Being busy isn’t necessarily a decision, it might occur when we place our priority on a variety of activities that all take some work and time. With a busy lifestyle, stress comes into the picture and this affects both your mental and physical health. There is a need to maintain a proper work-life balance, which also includes self-care. But with busy lifestyles, most of us forget the importance of self-care. Like your jobs and studies, you need to put some effort and time into yourself also.
Self-care is the act of identifying and attending to one’s physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional needs to restore one’s health. You’ll be more susceptible to sicknesses and more likely to succumb to stress, worry, and depression if you don’t practice regular self-care.
Being a student in a new city, away from home isn’t easy. My life as a student in a new city is also hectic sometimes. Study load has increased than ever. I never stayed away from home so long, so that homesick feeling is there sometimes. As I’m in a new city surrounded by completely new people and new friends too, but I know at some point I’m the only one who is going to take care of me. And now I find myself thinking over my physical and mental health more than ever.
Self-care is the act of identifying and attending to one’s physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional needs to restore one’s health. I’m well aware if I won’t take care of myself physically and mentally, I won’t be able to stay here for long. All this stress and worry about the future will take me over mentally if I won’t practise self-care regularly.
Self-care is commonly associated with pampering yourself, but what it means is addressing your human needs. This could be a need for leisure, calm, connection, or stability, among other things. The step towards self-care is doing what you need. You should question yourself, “What do I need at this point?” before engaging in any self-care activity. Every person is different and different things work for everyone. This will not only help you properly care for yourself on a fundamental level, but it will also help you be more efficient in your self-care.
As we all remain busy with our studies and responsibilities, we need to take some time out for self-care. It is not a one-time thing, it’s a regular process and you should schedule it somewhere in your routine. Find a gap in your weekly routine and schedule in a slot called “Self-care” and most importantly, stick to that schedule.
By giving some time to self-care, you may feel relieved from everyday life pressures and come back as more productive than before. Ignoring self-care and living a hectic life can be risky, as all this stress may lead to resentment, anxiety, depression and other negative effects.
As I’ve talked a lot about routine, self-care and its importance, the point is what we need to do for self-care. Some of the points that I’ve been suggested are –
Eat right – The food eaten by us has the potential to give us health benefits or to be a contributor to our weight gain, but it also keeps our minds fresh and alert.
Proper sleep – Sleep can have a major effect on both our physical and mental health. Proper sleep reduces stress. So your daily routine should consist of sufficient sleep.
Take time for the outing – Take time for the outing, this reduces your stress and lower your blood pressure. This may also help you get a night of better sleep, especially if you’ve done some physical activity.
Exercise daily – It also helps to reduce stress and boost your mood. And also keep you physically fit.
Self-care is necessary not just in this phase of life, but it will always be the best thing you can do for yourself. And I try to live every day with this thought and it gives me strength and makes me feel self-sufficient.
-Pawani Mishra
Jaipuria Talks Blog 