Why Self-Care Is Crucial, and How to Make the Time for It

We live in a time when working is possible from anywhere and productivity is valued beyond all else. The result: overworking and burnout.

Self-care is the key to managing our personal needs amidst this frenzy of activity.

Why Is Self-Care Important?

Self-care isn’t just an excuse to pamper yourself: It’s crucial to maintain both your physical and mental health.

Physical Health

When people don’t dedicate any time to taking care of themselves, they often overlook exercise and nutrition. While skipping a workout or opting for takeout to save time is sometimes necessary, making this your norm will take its toll on your physical health. If you fail to take care of your body, you won’t ever feel at your best.

However, your self-care routine doesn’t even have to include a proper diet and exercise in order for it to benefit your physical health (although it should). When you relax, your body triggers the relaxation response, which is essentially the opposite of the fight-or-flight response. This state helps you avoid anxiety and burnout, which is important to prevent chronic stress from damaging your health long-term and decreasing your immunity.

Mental Health

Those who don’t dedicate time to their self-care are more likely to experience low self-esteem, resentment, and unhappiness. And the burnout we mentioned above can have quite an impact on mental health as well.

Practicing self-care has been proven to increase productivity and positive thinking and impart feelings of well-being and calm. Plus, taking care of your body helps you to feel confident and good about yourself.

Ways to Practice Self-Care

Self-care looks different for every individual, but the time you set aside for yourself should include at least some of the following ideas:

• Plan healthy meals
• Eat mindfully, without distractions
• Create an exercise routine
• Practice your hobbies
• Spend time by yourself
• Spend time outside
• Meditate
• Pamper yourself
• Take breaks at work
• Take a vacation
• Get enough sleep
  

[Related: 15-Minute Habits That Add Balance to Your Busy Day]

How to Find the Time for Self-Care

When trying to find time to devote to your self-care, focus on two things.

First, prioritize your own well-being. If your priorities always lie elsewhere, you’ll never find the time (or energy) for yourself. Prioritizing yourself may mean accepting the fact that you can’t do everything — at least not on your own.

And second, you have to let others help you. Trying to perfectly juggle your work, home, relationships, and self-care is a recipe for disaster.

Hiring a personal assistant is a great way to free up time for yourself without neglecting any of your other responsibilities. Pepper’s Personal Assistants is here to help with your household management, errands, and chores, so you can spend that time and energy on something more deserving: yourself.

Ready to invest more time in yourself? Get started with a personal assistant today!

Featured image via Pixabay