November 4, 2017

Self-Care: A Reminder

Since it’s Thrive Week, I thought it would be nice to use this space as a reminder of the importance of self-care. In the middle of our busy schedules, it can be easy to forget just how important it is to make sure you’re checking in with yourself and giving yourself some space and time to recharge, and there are so many ways to do it.

It can be watching an episode of a tv show, making yourself a nice bath, taking a walk around the neighbourhood, reading a book, listening to a podcast, cooking yourself a nice meal… self-care looks different for different people. What’s important is to understand that it’s okay to take a moment and catch a breath.

I became aware of the necessity of self-care in my senior year in high school – I was overwhelmed with schoolwork and extracurricular activities and ended up having serious health problems due to stress. That’s when I realized mental health is just as important as physical health, and that I needed to be proactive and make self-care a part of my routine, just as much as studying or exercising is.

This Rookie Mag article is a great read on the topic. It talks about some different areas of “emotional neediness”, as the author puts it, which is a good tool to help you understand what type of care you might need the most at a particular time. For example, if you’re stuck creatively and might be in a need to be inspired and amazed, self-care might look like walking around a part of your city you haven’t been to yet, or getting cozy and reading that book that has been on your bedside table for months.

So remember to check in with yourself and make sure you’re taking the time to do whatever suits your needs at the moment. It may take some time to find exactly what makes you de-stress and recharge, but the journey will be rewarding. Good luck!