What is the Big Deal About Self-Care

Self-care is like a fuel for your body and mind.  It is essential for maintaining all functions for your mind and body. It is as important as sleep and food.  Not being able to perform self-care can lead to stress, anxiety, and health conditions. Not being able to do self-care is basically neglecting yourself. 

Today, life demands so much time and energy from us.  How can we give our time and energy if we do not care for ourselves first? How can you care for others if you cannot care for yourself first? You are not selfish if you take care of yourself little.  Ever wonder why the airline informs you that in case of emergency, you are to put your mask on first before helping to the mask on a child?  That is because if you don’t put your mask on first, you will lose oxygen and won’t be able to properly put the child’s mask on him/her resulting in both losses.  You have to take care of yourself first to be able to be there in life in the present moment where you should be.

I used think that self-care is taking care of your hygiene and seeing a doctor. I had no idea that is there is more to it.  So I decided try some self-care.  However, whenever I tried it, I would feel guilty or that I didn’t deserve it.  Why in the world do I feel guilty for caring about myself? Why I don’t deserve to take care of myself? Spending time in this self-hate, I began to fall apart.  Started to gain weight, developed health conditions, and became so self-conscious.  I would avoid social gathering because of the way I felt about myself and body.  I lost self-confidence and would only stay home.  I hit the rock bottom and learned that self-care is very essential for recovery. 

I finally began to do self-care and watched myself grow to happier place.  I learned that self-care not only helped me physically but emotionally as well.  During self-care I would distress myself and gained peace.  It became something that I couldn’t live without because I would escape my daily stress and be at peace with myself even if it was for five minutes.  

Things in life became simpler because I was able to cope with stress better.  I began to attend social gatherings.  I was able to complete my tasks and help others.  I was finally myself, all alive again.  I will never stop self-care because it saved me in a way.