The Importance of Self-Care

Self-care is a term often used in the health industry, but what does it really mean? Self-care is really anything you do to care for yourself. Now be careful because that doesn't necessarily mean watching tv or playing video games. Self-care is anything you are actively doing to take care of or better yourself. Some of my favorite self-care examples:

• Taking a bubble bath

• Get a message

• Workout

• Go for a bike ride

As a rule of thumb, self-care is anything you are doing that not only rejuvenates you, but also expands you in some way, whether it be mind, body or soul.

Why is self-care so important? This is so simple, yet so difficult to prioritize. Self-care is important because if you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of others or your responsibilities. It's like trying to drive a car on fumes. What makes self-care so difficult is that it does take time and it takes time away from the priorities with a deadline. Just because it doesn't have a deadline though, doesn't mean it's not important.

How do you fit it all in? You have to make self-care a priority. The easiest way to make it a priority is to create a habit. Habits are usually created after 30 days of consistent practice, so push yourself, for 30 days to make self-care a habit. Whether it's a work out, reading, or a combination of things, work on doing it consistently for 30 days, then take it from there.

My Self-Care Trio; over time I have developed a trinity, so to speak, of self-care that seems to work great for me. I work out 3-5 days per week for at least an hour, take a bath with epsom salts and essential oils at least 3 days per week and I sit in the sauna for a minimum of 10 minutes 3-5 days per week. This is very important for me because of my health concerns.

Epsom salt baths and saunas are great for fatty livers because they help you to sweat out your toxins. Saunas are also great for heart health, and as someone born with two separate heart defects, I swear by it. Lastly, working out is incredibly important for your overall health and for me it does help with my mitral valve prolapse. It keeps my adrenaline levels normal and thus, my anxiety down.

Everyone's self-care is going to look different, and that is totally fine! Find what works best for you and what motivates you the most and do that!