Life can be stressful, and taking care of yourself is often the first thing you push aside when the going gets tough. While putting your needs last seems like an obvious choice as your to-do list grows, pushing through life without taking time for yourself can lead to burnout, anxiety and depression.
If you’ve let your responsibilities get in the way of caring for yourself, you’re not the only one. Today we’ll talk about what self-care is, why it's important and how you can implement easy self-care practices into your daily life.
What is Self-Care?
Self-care means different things to different people. In general, self-care is the act of doing something that nurtures your mind, body or soul (ideally, all three!). If you’ve ever taken a warm bath, disconnected from social media, joined a dance class or put on a refreshing face mask to feel better, you’ve engaged in self-care.
Why is Self-Care Important?
Self-care is a crucial part of maintaining our physical, mental and emotional well-being. You should always make time for self-care, and here are three reasons why.
Self-Care Supports Overall Health and Well-Being
Self-care helps support your physical health and well-being. For example, eating nutritious foods and implementing movement into your daily care routine help promote a healthy lifestyle. Exercise is great for our bodies, but it also helps improve mood and reduce anxiety.
Prioritizing self-care is beneficial for our mental health, too. By practicing self-care, we find a balance between the stressors and pleasures of life. As a result, your quality of life can improve.
Self-Care Increases Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
Self-care includes spending time with ourselves and getting to know who we are and what we want from life. Caring for ourselves includes reframing the way that we see ourselves, speaking to ourselves with kindness and believing that we are capable of achieving all of our goals.
When we get to know ourselves better, it becomes easier to find things about ourselves that we love.
Self-Care Improves Resilience
If you’ve ever flown on a commercial airline, you’ve heard the Oxygen Mask Rule: In an emergency, put on your own mask first before helping others. Like many other maxims, this rule holds true.
By taking care of our needs first, we’re increasing our capacity to give to others. The time we take to turn inward, the more resilient we become. Suddenly, that annoying coworker or slow driver in front of you on the highway won’t affect you as they used to.
8 Ways to Practice Self Care
Here are nine simple ways to indulge in self-care and give back to you.
1. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is crucial for our well-being – and it’s also an important part of self-care. Although spending time watching TV or scrolling through your phone after a long day seems appealing, try foregoing screen time for a couple of extra minutes of shut-eye.
Softies’ luxury sleepwear features our signature Wellness Fabric that regulates your body temperature and wicks away moisture, giving you a better night’s sleep. Plus, its irresistible coziness creates a cocoon that soothes and comforts you as you wind down for the day. Softies’ sleepwear is also ideal for those who struggle with insomnia or night sweats.
Read more: 9 Remedies for Night Sweats
2. Exercise Regularly
Exercising regularly doesn’t require you to lift heavy weights or run marathons. Taking a walk, attending a pilates class, or doing some gentle stretching at home are all forms of exercise that can benefit you.
3. Eat (and Drink) Healthy
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a drag! There is an abundance of delicious, wholesome recipes just a Google search away – and they don’t have to cost you an arm or leg, either. Research shows that sticking to a healthy diet can impact your mental health, creating increased focus and a more positive outlook on life .
Maintaining a healthy diet also means drinking enough water. There are multiple benefits of drinking plenty of water, including increased energy and weight loss.
4. Balance Work and Play
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is key to a happy life. Working too much is a primary reason that we neglect self-care, and it leaves us feeling unfulfilled. While it’s certainly possible to enjoy the work we do, it’s still necessary to take time to practice caring for ourselves.
5. Practice Limiting Negativity
Being negative is easy when life gets tough. Every inconvenience creates frustration, and we end up feeling unmotivated and hopeless.
Luckily, life is filled with endless things to bring you joy. Whether it’s sunshine, good friends or a yummy snack, there’s always something to be thankful for. Being mindful of these small delights is the easiest way to limit negativity and in turn, become a happier person.
6. Treat Yourself Well
It may sound obvious, but treating yourself kindly is an important part of self-care. Whether it’s making a DIY face mask or putting on a soft and luxurious robe, make sure you’re doing little things that increase your comfort.
Softies’ wide selection of loungewear and robes will help you look and feel your best, whether you’re out running errands, working from home, or engaging in your favorite self-care practices.
7. Manage Stress
For the times when we can’t seem to reduce stress, it’s a good idea to have some mindfulness tools handy. Techniques like meditation and deep breathing are proven to reduce anxiety, promote emotional health, enhance self-awareness and generate kindness.
This form of self-care is great because we can use it anytime, anywhere – and it’s free.
8. Ask For Help When You Need It
There are times in life when we need someone to lean on. Knowing when you need to ask for help to cope with stress, frustration, anxiety or sadness is a critical part of self-care.
Prioritize healthy relationships with friends, family and co-workers. Not only will this provide you with an emotional safety net, but it will help you deepen connections with your loved ones.
Practice Self-Care With Softies
One of the easiest and most effective ways to implement self-care into our everyday lives is by wearing clothing that makes us feel comfortable and confident.
Indulge in self-care by treating yourself to Softies loungewear, pajamas or robes! Stay cozy, comfy and relaxed around the clock.
