Self-Care : Making it a Priority
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Take some time to reflect on what self-care means to you.
What does it entail? What have you been doing for your own self-care? How would you describe your current state of mind?
Self-care does not represent the same thing for all people nor does one activity fit every individual. Nevertheless, self-care can be important for a mother with children, a busy college student, a couple who just moved to a new city, a man with a hectic work schedule, and more.
What is Self Care?
Self-care is engaging in any intentional and healthy activity regarding your mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health. As simple as it may seem, these healthy activities are often overlooked or neglected at a time when it is most imperative.
What are some examples of Self Care?
Self-care can include activities such as
Expressing your feelings through art or
Having stimulating conversations with friends or new people
Recognizing the things that give meaning to your life
Maintaining a balance between your professional and personal life, and
Going to preventative doctor appointments.
Why is Self Care important?
Self-care should be utilized as preventative measures to
decrease stress,
prevent burnout,
increase resilience,
regulate emotions.
Self-care is not an activity to be used as a last-ditch effort when things do not seem to be working out or you are experiencing a lack of energy or fuel.
Making Self Care a priority
If you make self-care a priority, you may begin to realize that you are more efficient and effective on a daily basis and have more energy to tackle the day.
Challenges to practicing better Self Care
Change can be a difficult process to implement especially when you have grown accustomed to a particular behavior, schedule, or routine for some time. Common components of the process of change consist of the following:
Awareness/insight
Self-direction or responsibility
Development
Commitment to goals
Self-reinforcement
Social support
Practice in order to build new patterns and form habits
Self Care Tips
In Buddhas Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom, the authors state, “Over time, through training and shaping your mind and brain, you can even change what arises, increasing what’s positive and decreasing what’s negative” (Hanson & Mendius, 2009).
With forced practice, a new habit eventually forms. Determining small steps provide the opportunity to create measurable and realistic goals for making changes although implementing the plan can be the most challenging stage.
So how do you break the cycle?
It takes one step at a time.
If you are recognizing that you are experiencing low motivation, loss of energy or fatigue, lack of concentration, excessive sleep or a change in sleep habits, and/or anxiety, it is time for a change.
Rather than viewing change as a scary and uncertain step in a different direction, reframe your perspective to see change as an opportunity to learn from your situations and take control of your actions moving forward.
Change is an exciting process because it means you are in the process of growing.
Self Care Conclusions
Attending counseling sessions is a great option to get started as counselors promote quality of life and the expectancy of life through preventative self-care.
We have one of many unique positions to educate clients on their health and provide options to prevent them from engaging in unhealthy behaviors or cycles.
We cannot force individuals to make healthy changes to their lifestyles; however, if a client schedules and attends sessions, that is one step toward making a healthy change and acknowledging that they want something to change and that is our opportunity, as counselors, to help.
Change is inevitable, so reach out today to make that first step toward a positive future!
Alyssa Curry, MA, LPC
To Schedule an Appointment Visit: https://samnabilcounseling.clientsecure.me
Sources
Hanson, R., & Mendius, R. (2009). Buddhas brain: The practical neuroscience of happiness,
love & wisdom. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
Sam Nabil is the founder of Naya Clinics and is a Boston therapist and a Boston Marriage Counselor.
Sam offers therapy in Boston and Boston Marriage Counseling for adults suffering from relationship challenges, life transitions and anxiety.
Sam Nabil was featured in many prestigious publications. Check out his interview with Aljazeera English, The Washington post, The Boston Globe, Fatherly magazine, Women's health magazine, Cornell university , Yahoo News, USA Today, Marriage.com
Naya Clinics is a top-rated Marriage Counseling, therapy and Life coaching practice.
Naya Clinics offers Marriage Counselors near me, individual therapy near me, and life coaching near me in various locations across the USA and the world.
Naya Clinics also offers Online marriage counseling, online therapy, and online life coaching.
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