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Why We Need Self-Care More Than Ever
How Self-Care Has Become a Radical Act
Rey Castellanos
March 03, 2024
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When was the last time you did something purely for yourself? If you're like most people, taking time for self-care takes a backseat to seemingly "more important" things.
Self-care often gets dismissed as an indulgent distraction from "real" work and responsibilities. However, practicing consistent self-care lays the foundation for improved mental, emotional, and physical well-being, allowing you to perform at your best in all areas of life.
Before I started taking my self-care seriously, I struggled with burnout.
Juggling several jobs while trying to start a business didn’t leave me much time for anything, let alone “self-care.”
At the time, I was making the most money I had ever made and simultaneously, I was the most unhappy I’d ever been.
I was constantly exhausted, overworking and on the verge of burning out.
The exhaustion paired with my struggle with perfectionism, sent my stress levels through the roof and wreaked havoc on my mental health.
One morning I woke up dreading the day ahead and I knew, something needed to change.
Table of Contents
The Problem
Our relentless pursuit of productivity has often left us drained, stressed, and disconnected from our own wellbeing, driven by a system that values profit over people.
The challenge isn't just finding time for self-care; it's battling the guilt and societal perception that self-care is selfish, frivolous or weak.
95% of American workers admitted to feeling stressed out at work, with 76% reporting that work-related stress negatively affected their personal lives and relationships.1
Unmanaged stress wreaks havoc on your health over time, raising levels of cortisol and inflammatory biomarkers that disrupt cardiovascular, digestive, immune, and reproductive health.²
According to the American institute of stress, 75% - 90% of ALL doctor office visits are for stress-related ailments or complaints.3
That’s absolutely insane!
This not only diminishes quality of life on an individual level, but also leads to over $300 billion annual losses for businesses.4
And to make matters worse, recovery from burnout can take anywhere from weeks to months, or even longer in some cases.
Clearly, we have an epidemic of stress and subsequent mental health struggles that isn’t being adequately addressed.
Why It Matters
Prioritizing self-care challenges our cultural conditioning of prioritizing productivity over people, making it the radical act of reclaiming our worth.
Each act of self-care, no matter how big or how small, becomes a demonstration that: "𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁."
These simple acts of self-love have the power to elevate our standards and transform our relationship with ourselves.
Raising our standard of care for ourselves creates a ripple effect that can raise our standards in all aspects of our life.
When we take our self care seriously, it can start to change the way we invest our time, effort and energy.
When we use our energy and focus more wisely, we can show up more powerfully; and we set an example for those we love and lead.
"The greatest gift you can give yourself is a little bit of your own attention."
The Science
Self-care builds resilience. Consistent self-care habits provide an opportunity to actively calm and restore the nervous system, lowering allostatic stress loads before they cause damage.6
Simple practices like meditation, journaling, and exercise give the parasympathetic nervous system space to activate, allowing you to bounce back from life's challenges with greater ease.
Self-care enhances wellbeing. Self-care directly supports core psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and connectedness.7 Meeting these needs not only feels good in the moment, but provides a profound and enduring sense of meaning, purpose, empowerment and inner peace.
Self-care boosts motivation. When operating from a place of rest and renewal, you’re able to bring more energy, focus and dedication to all of your roles in life. Setting the stage for peak performance and flow states, allows you to contribute at the highest levels.
The Personal Impact
Failing to practice self-care can rob you of energy, purpose, and enjoyment in life. It's not just our own well-being that suffers; our relationships bear the brunt of it too.
Imagine you're running on empty, drained from endless to-do lists and responsibilities. Your partner tries to engage in conversation, but you're too exhausted to truly listen. Their frustration grows, leading to tension and distance between you.
Over time, the lack of connection takes its toll, eroding the intimacy and trust that once defined your relationship. Neglecting self-care isn't just about you—it’s about being able to show up fully for the important people in your life.
Leadership Impact
Neglecting self-care as a leader isn't just about feeling tired or stressed—it's about the tangible impact it has on your ability to lead effectively.
Imagine a leader who's constantly overwhelmed and unable to engage fully with their team. They're irritable, distant, and unable to provide the support and guidance their team needs.
As a result, communication breaks down, morale drops, and productivity suffers. The team feels unsupported and undervalued, leading to disengagement and turnover.
"The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it."
Take Action
How to Start Practicing Self-Care
Set clear boundaries. Understanding your personal limits and learning how to hold them gracefully is essential to maintaining balance. Evaluate obligations and opt out of nonessential activities. Prioritize vacations, weekends, and time off.
Schedule daily self-care practices. Carve out small windows each day for activities like meditating, walking, journaling or calling a friend. Start with 5-10 minutes at a time and build on them as they become a rooted habit.
Design a personalized self-care vision. What really lights you up? Get intentional about activities that spark relaxation, joy, meaning and vitality for you specifically. Then set goals to integrate one new self-care practice each month.
Build an empowering inner dialogue. Notice self-limiting thoughts and consciously cultivate more empowering beliefs through daily affirmations. Speak to yourself as you would a close friend. (Learn more here.)
Invest in social and community connection. Humans thrive through meaningful connection with others. Seek out communities aligned with your self-care values for inspiration and accountability.
Summary
Self-care is often the first thing we often sacrifice, yet choosing to prioritize self-care, is a radical act of self-love that sends the message that your health, well-being, and personal growth are priorities.
When we prioritize self-care we pave the way for not only better health but more productivity, better relationships and overall enjoyment of life while avoiding the skyrocketing consequences of chronic stress.
Key Takeaways
Practicing Self Care:
– Boosts mental, physical and emotional resilience
– Enhances overall wellbeing and life satisfaction
– Sustains peak performance and motivation over time
– Supports stronger relationships and leadership impact
– Provides competitive advantage for conscious businesses
Ideas for Action
– Schedule daily self-care practices, start small and build up over time
– Set boundaries around obligations and prioritize time off
– Build a personalized self-care vision
– Schedule self-care like any other meeting
– Connect with communities for inspiration and support
Thought Provoker
What are some self-care practices that make you feel rejuvenated?
Remember, when we take care of ourselves, we are not being selfish, we are being wise stewards of the only life we have. Self-care looks different for everyone, what’s important is that you make time to take care of you because you’re worth it.
With appreciation,
Rey
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References:
CFAH. Anxiety Statistics & Facts (2023). Center for Advancing Health
https://cfah.org/anxiety-statistics/
Accessed February 20, 2024.Mayo Clinic. "Chronic stress puts your health at risk."
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037
Accessed February 20, 2024.American Institute of Stress. America's #1 Health Problem.
https://www.stress.org/americas-1-health-problem
Accessed February 23, 2024.HeartMath Institute. Measuring Workplace Stress in a New Way. https://www.heartmath.org/general/measuring-workplace-stress-in-a-new-way/
Accessed February 23, 2024.American Psychological Association. "Stress effects on the body."
https://www.apa.org/topics/stress-body
Accessed February 20, 2024.Mayo Clinic Staff. Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to reduce stress. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368. Accessed February 20, 2024.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68