by Dr. Jim Price
Award winning Author, Educator, Blogger, MSN news top business entrepreneur
Often within our lives we go through the daily rigors of the non-stop responsibilities that we face which include many different facets and moving pieces. We live through the domains of balancing work life, taking care of family, the daily hustle of bills and the many plethora of unexpected life events that crop up which redirect our focus and attention. As the saying goes there is never enough time to do all the things that require our attention on a typical day. I know for myself that I often get trapped in that mindset of not having enough time and have to remind myself that to be at my best I cannot forget the importance of utilizing self care within the routine of my day. Many people share this similar perspective which often leads to one forgetting the importance of giving back to oneself through means of self care. There are definitely aspects of self care which can have very beneficial advantages and can improve our daily living. One of the main reasons why many people fail to embrace self care into their daily routines is for the lack of perceived time. Research has indicated that 73% of Americans feel that they do not have enough time to include self care into their daily routines despite the many advantages that are connected to being able to incorporate some form of self care into their lives. I myself once was one to have that same sentiment with regards to having a lack of time for self care and through consciously deciding to make an effort to include self care into my own daily routine, I did begin to see and experience positive changes within many aspects of my own life. My focus was better and I would feel a sense of calmness when I would be engaged in the self care activity I would choose. The benefits definitely made an impression on me. When we do begin to look at what the benefits of including self care into one’s daily routine can have on activities of daily living, we can become more enlightened to how being proactive towards incorporating self care daily can have a profound impact on one’s overall wellbeing. Research has indicated that implementing self care into your daily routine can lower stress levels by 40% and is also linked to boosting happiness by 71% as well as self confidence by 64%. These are just a few of the noted benefits that are connected to embracing self care into your daily routine. Research has also reflected connections of self care with increased improvements in workplace performance by 35%. This shows the correlation of how daily self care routines can have a positive influence on not just within our homes but also within how effective we can do our jobs within the work space.
When we begin to look more closely at self care routines in itself, there are a plethora of avenues that can meet the criteria for gaining the many benefits connected to making that decision to begin including self care into your daily routine. To get into a few of these benefits lets start with physical health as regular exercise, choosing to maintain healthy eating habits, and getting enough sleep can bring about a better mind space, mood and overall performance. Physical health also correlates with improved mental health when added with mindfulness or meditation to help reduce stress and ease one’s mind. These aspects also further correlate with better emotional health where your feelings and thoughts patterns begin to steer towards more of a positive outlook and you’re able to gain more clarity with what things in life really align with your own personal values and standards.
It’s also important to make time for family and friends as those areas of your life can not only connect with your self care aspirations, but can also become a great support base through difficult times. Utilizing hobbies as a part of our self care routine can also be a good avenue to pursue because when we engage in activities that we thoroughly enjoy it takes our minds away from the daily rigors in our lives and can spark our creative juices as well.
It’s also good to make sure that you get medical check-ups regularly to keep up with what’s going on with your health as often we will get so caught up with our daily lives that we put medical check-ups on the back burner and not be proactive when our bodies are giving us clues that we should get that medical check-up. I myself have been guilty of putting off a good medical check-up because of focusing too much on responsibilities when the reality is if you’re not in good health you will not be at your best or able to give your best in so many circumstances or situations.
It’s okay to seek out professional help if things in daily life become too overbearing. Being able to admit that there is a problem is a step in the right direction to meet that issue head on and work to resolve that inner conflict. All these are facets of self care that opens up the doors to being able to live holistically healthier and more fulfilling lives. These are some of the many benefits of embracing self care routines into one’s life and I would hope that those who have not may be inspired to make that change so that you too can reap the many benefits so you too can grow in mind, body and spirit through self care. Stay blessed.