Why Self-Care Is So Important

In life, everything begins with a plan, including self-care. While most people want to be there to help loved ones, it’s also important to take care of yourself.

You know the saying, “preparation is key”? This saying is definitely true when it comes to trying to add self-care into our lives. Our in-home care professionals at Qualicare want to offer you advice on how to develop a self-care plan for the new year.

When creating a self-care plan that works best for you, it is important to consider all the different aspects of self-care:

Physical Self-Care

A physical self-care plan should consist of things that promote healthy living on a daily basis.

For starters, you want to make sure you get a good night’s sleep most nights. When you get a good night’s sleep, you are better able to conquer the day by being more productive and handling stress better. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep.

You also want to aim to eat a healthy diet and get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Healthy eating and exercise are vital to reducing your risk of disease and adding years to your life.

Making it a point to take care of your physical health will only help to add more quality days to your life.

Mental Self-Care

While your physical health is certainly important and a vital part of your self-care plan, you shouldn’t forget about your mental health.

In order to give yourself a clear head and an overall sense of well-being, consider the following:

• Keeping a journal so that you can write down anything that comes to mind. Although some of your writing might be about happy events, a journal is a way to let negative, stressful thoughts leave your mind and live on paper so that they don’t get the best of your cognitive health.
• Making sure you take time to just be. This is a great time to unplug from electronics, as well as spend time alone for a walk in nature or meditation. Try to forget everything going on and just focus on the moment that you are in and the things you have to be grateful for in life.
• Taking on a hobby. As we grow older, it can be easy to let our hobbies fall by the wayside. It can get to the point that our hobby seems to be taking care of others and not ourselves. Expand your horizons and introduce new or previously enjoyable activities into your life.

Workplace Self-Care

Most of us spend at least 40 hours a week working. Because we spend so much time at work, we need a way to care for ourselves in the midst of it all.

While this doesn’t mean you can flake on responsibility, it does mean that you can include your workplace in your self-care plan to ensure you are remain at your most productive throughout the work day.

You might consider attending professional development conferences so that you can always stay up-to-date on the latest developments in your industry to help keep you moving forward and learning in your career.

Or your self-care may be more about boundaries. You want to make sure you establish boundaries with your coworkers and clients. While work is important, it is also vital to keep your sanity in order to perform your job at the fullest. As in any relationship, it is important to have certain boundaries so that you are able to protect yourself and your health.

Are you looking to improve your loved one’s quality of life? Discover how the in-home care providers at Qualicare can help!