Self-Care: The Beauty of ‘Logging Off’

 In today’s culture there is a strong focus on work, work, and more work. Being booked and busy is a badge of honor to many. Although, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being productive and taking care of yourself and your family, a life where self-care is prioritized is beneficial is for physical, mental health. There has been more of an emphasis on self-care within the last five years. More people have realized the benefits of self-care and continue to make a consistent practice of it.

What is Self-Care?

The Cambridge dictionary defines self-care as “the practice of doing activities that you enjoy or that are relaxing, especially in order to improve or avoid stress”

Reframing Self-Care

When self-care is mentioned, depending on your viewpoint, it may be seem not important or something you feel you don’t need. Self-care isn’t just lying in the bed or on the couch doing nothing. Although, some time spent with no scheduled activities and allowing physical and mental rest may also be part of a self-care routine as well. Self-care isn’t about being lazy or unproductive. Neither is self-care selfish. It is valuing yourself.

Self-care is participating in activities no matter how big or small that will bring relaxation and refreshing to your physical and mental self. As a result, you can show up as a better you for yourself, loved ones, and the people you interact with on a regular basis.

Benefits of Self-Care

Self-care comes with physical and mental benefits such as:

·      Increased focus- the act of recharging and refreshing enhances mental clarity and productivity and gives you the energy you need to handle your daily responsibilities.

·      Healthier relationships-when you are refreshed and relaxed you can show up as a better you to your loved ones. Interactions are less stressful and more enjoyable.

·      Improved emotional, physical, and mental well-being- Stress isn’t just mental. It can take a physical and emotional toll on your body in the forms of increased blood pressure, headaches, abdominal pain, and anxiety.  Self-care practice reduces stress and its. manifestations making it easier to participate in activities that bring you enjoyment.

·      Burnout prevention- Self-care practice offers balance to a busy existence. Without balancing a busy life with rest and relaxation, we can hop on the fast track to burnout. Even machines require preventive maintenance to continue to operate optimally. Self-care is ‘preventive maintenance’ to continue to live the lives we love in an optimized fashion.

Self-Care Practices You Can Start today

Get some sleep. Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. This allows your body and mind regular rest to recharge for the day ahead.

Exercise. This doesn’t mean you have to do hard-core weights or high intensity workouts. Walking at a brisk pace, if possible, is also great exercise.

Enjoy nature. Surrounding yourself with nature can be relaxing as you allow yourself to take in the beauty it has to offer.

Connect with friends. Enjoy time with friends catching up outside the busyness of life.

Take time off. Arrange for time away from working. Balance work with time not focused on work activity.

Do something that you enjoy. We all have things we enjoy. Reading great books, gardening, listening to music, crafting, fishing…the possibilities are endless. Indulge in some of your most-loved activities. Your rested and recharged self will thank you for it.

Self-Care is a much-needed practice with benefits to mental, physical, emotional, and relational health. Self-care isn’t selfish but refreshes and recharges so you can show up as a better you. Making a habit of self-care is valuing the person you are.

References

Martínez, N., Connelly, C. D., Pérez, A., & Calero, P. (2021). Self-care: A concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 8(4), 418–425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2021.08.007

Riegel, B., Barbaranelli, C., Stawnychy, M. A., Matus, A., & Hirschman, K. B. (2024). Does self-care improve coping or does coping improve self-care? A structural equation modeling study. Applied Nursing Research, 78, 151810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2024.151810

self-care. (2025). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/self-care

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