Self-care is the new way to take care of yourself
By Marcela Beltrao Teixeira
[email protected]
Shelby Wichtner was burnt out. She was working 20 hours a week, studying full-time as a Nursing major, and still had to juggle spending time with her friends and family. She definitely needed a break. That is when, while scrolling through her social media, she saw an ad for a meditation app and decided to give it a try.
“I cannot even start explaining how that changed me. I could never imagine how such a small thing as taking 10 minutes just for myself and clear my mind of all the messy thoughts could actually help me,” said Wichtner. “I started meditating, and I was a bit skeptical in the beginning, but after a week I felt relaxed. I was concentrating way more and was able to solve everything quicker. My mind just became more efficient.”
Self-care is the trend of the year. Many millennials and generation Z’s have been incorporating and investing on self-care in their daily routines. They have noticed the improvement on their day-to-day lives and even how they handle stressful situations.
What is self-care? The World Health Organization defines self-care as “what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, and to prevent and deal with illness. It is a broad concept encompassing hygiene (general and personal), nutrition (type and quality of food eaten), lifestyle (sporting activities, leisure, etc.), environmental factors (living conditions, social habits, etc.) socio-economic factors (income level, cultural beliefs, etc.) and self-medication.”
This new trend is all about taking care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically. It has shown many positive effects on those emerging on this tendency. Athletes themselves are now trying a few tips to see what the buzz is all about.
“I never quite understood what everyone was actually talking about, but after my coach mentioned it, I decided to try out some yoga at home. And it is crazy how much improvement I was able to obtain,” said Joseph Smith, a student-athlete and Business major. “I feel much more relaxed. I do not overthink as much as I used to before a game. Also, I feel more energized and awake in the morning.”
Taking some time for yourself can have many benefits, such as:
With so many benefits, it is no surprise self-care has gained so many followers. The app Calm, a famous meditation app available for Android and iOS users, has over 40 million downloads worldwide. Another famous self-care app, Yoga Daily, has around 100 thousand users.
Knowing the many benefits from self-caring yourself, here are a few tips on how to start taking better care of you mental, emotional, and physical health:
[email protected]
Shelby Wichtner was burnt out. She was working 20 hours a week, studying full-time as a Nursing major, and still had to juggle spending time with her friends and family. She definitely needed a break. That is when, while scrolling through her social media, she saw an ad for a meditation app and decided to give it a try.
“I cannot even start explaining how that changed me. I could never imagine how such a small thing as taking 10 minutes just for myself and clear my mind of all the messy thoughts could actually help me,” said Wichtner. “I started meditating, and I was a bit skeptical in the beginning, but after a week I felt relaxed. I was concentrating way more and was able to solve everything quicker. My mind just became more efficient.”
Self-care is the trend of the year. Many millennials and generation Z’s have been incorporating and investing on self-care in their daily routines. They have noticed the improvement on their day-to-day lives and even how they handle stressful situations.
What is self-care? The World Health Organization defines self-care as “what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, and to prevent and deal with illness. It is a broad concept encompassing hygiene (general and personal), nutrition (type and quality of food eaten), lifestyle (sporting activities, leisure, etc.), environmental factors (living conditions, social habits, etc.) socio-economic factors (income level, cultural beliefs, etc.) and self-medication.”
This new trend is all about taking care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically. It has shown many positive effects on those emerging on this tendency. Athletes themselves are now trying a few tips to see what the buzz is all about.
“I never quite understood what everyone was actually talking about, but after my coach mentioned it, I decided to try out some yoga at home. And it is crazy how much improvement I was able to obtain,” said Joseph Smith, a student-athlete and Business major. “I feel much more relaxed. I do not overthink as much as I used to before a game. Also, I feel more energized and awake in the morning.”
Taking some time for yourself can have many benefits, such as:
- Improvement on health and immune system.
- Improvement on self-esteem.
- Enhanced self-knowledge.
- Increased productivity.
With so many benefits, it is no surprise self-care has gained so many followers. The app Calm, a famous meditation app available for Android and iOS users, has over 40 million downloads worldwide. Another famous self-care app, Yoga Daily, has around 100 thousand users.
Knowing the many benefits from self-caring yourself, here are a few tips on how to start taking better care of you mental, emotional, and physical health:
- Have a healthy work-life/school-life balance. Knowing your limit and respecting is the first step on the path of a healthier life and relationship with yourself.
- Sleep is as important as anything else. Sleep is not only when your body rest but your mind too. Having a good sleeping schedule is one of the most important steps in this journey.
- Learn how to manage your stress. Many people meditate, do yoga, read, or go to the gym. Learning your cope mechanism for stress is essential when trying to have a better relationship with yourself.
- Invest on your physical health. Move your body, and do it properly. Also, invest on good, health food. Your mind works better when your body is working perfectly.
- Do something that makes you happy! Either invest more time with your friends and family, or go to movies more often. Investing sometime is something that makes you happy can take you a long way.