Self-Care: An Essential Part of Your Mental Health Toolkit
Self-care seems like a buzzword nowadays. It’s topic that’s on the cover magazines and in self-help articles all the time. But, even though it’s a trending topic, doesn’t mean you should dismiss it with an eye roll. In fact, self-care should be an essential part of your mental health toolkit.
To start, you must understand what self-care really means and how you can add it to your lifestyle. Since it’s a term thrown around often, it can begin to lose importance and meaning. In a nutshell, everyone should know that self-care encompasses just about anything you do to be good to yourself.
Self-care is about putting yourself first and reconnecting with your thoughts, feelings, and general wellness. It’s about being as kind to yourself as you would be to others. Self-care is also about setting boundaries and practicing self-compassion to prevent a burnout. It’s really all about taking care of yourself.
There are many ways to integrate self-care into your lifestyle. People all have different requirements when it comes to self-care, but starting with these three essentials can have a big impact on your overall health and happiness.
Physical Self-Care
You need to take care of your body if you want to live in good health. Physical wellness can affect all other areas of your overall health. You can practice good physical self-care for your body by getting adequate sleep, exercising, and and maintaining a proper diet. You can use food as fuel for your mind, body, and soul. This is just one of the many reasons why self-care is not selfish- it’s essential!
Emotional Self-Care
Staying mentally healthy is another important part of self-care. Your psychological wellbeing is about self-compassion and personal acceptance. If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, then don’t say it to yourself. Do things that make you happy in life. Build meaningful relationships and let go of the ones that don’t add to your happiness.
Professional Self-Care
The average American worker works 44 hours per week! We’re a work-driven culture that’s connected 24/7 making it difficult to take a break and unplug. No matter how demanding your career, there’s always room to incorporate self-care.
From a professional standpoint, self-care can be about setting boundaries with coworkers or creating a list of small goals for each day to avoid a burnout. Bring balance and organization to your life by managing your work/life schedule so you don’t overextend yourself too much on one day.
Above all, the most important thing you can remember is that self-care is NOT selfish…it’s essential!
Contact Amanda Itzkoff MD’s Office to Schedule an Appointment: amanda@psychiatristsnyc.com or ring my office at (917)-982-2184.