Why Self-Care is not Selfish: Advice for Women

By: Olga Pavuka

Founder & CEO of DeepH Health&Happiness App

Every day is a busy day for women, be it work meetings, chores, cooking, kids, social appointments and many more things that need doing. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t help that we are too hard on ourselves much of the time.

We spend a lot of time beating ourselves up by thinking, “I should have done this” or “I could have done that”. However, in a society obsessed with productivity, it feels more important to do something as simple and radical as permitting yourself not to be perfect.

Take time to pay attention to yourself.

Self-care means taking the time to pay attention to yourself in a way that ensures that you are being cared for. It means recognizing when you are doing more than you can handle and figuring out how and where you can slow down.

Incorporating self-care into your daily life helps you to stay energized to survive and thrive. It also goes a long way to managing stress and living your life to the fullest.

Practising self-care is more important than ever when taking care of our emotional health and well-being. You should understand your physical, mental and spiritual needs and schedule time to focus on your needs, even if you feel like you don’t have time.

Here are some realistic steps to better self-care:

Know Your Signs of Stress

Sometimes self-care is about knowing when you’re getting overloaded or overwhelmed and responding with micro habits that prevent burnout.

Create a ‘Not ToDo’ List

Self-care isn’t just about taking action. It also involves freeing up space for the things that matter in your life and removing those that don’t. So after an especially draining day, take a few minutes to reflect: What dragged you down? How can you do less of that?

Self-Time

A little slice of solitude in an otherwise hectic world is a breath of fresh air for the soul. Claiming time for ourselves without a plan can feel uncomfortable because we constantly feel the need to be doing something. However, giving yourself a break will revitalize your brain and let you think more clearly, allowing you the opportunity to get to know yourself sans the digital and social distractions and obligations.

Try meditating

Relaxation exercises, breathing, and meditation can improve your state of mind and outlook on life. In addition, research shows that meditation may help you feel calmer and enhance the effects of therapy.

Not sure where to start? Try the DeepH App healing meditations. Remember, meditation doesn’t have to take up a considerable amount of your time; just 5 minutes each day is enough to feel better.

Practice a Positive Affirmation

Spending some quiet time with yourself might be all you need. Pat your heart and say, “It’s okay. I am enough. I have enough.” This is a good mantra to use when you notice you’re not feeling okay.

Choose Nature over Technology

The more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need. We all lead busy lives, and things like work, school, and family life can exhaust us.

We will be mentally drained if we try to focus on too many activities or even single things for long periods. Therefore, we must take a break. Spending time in nature, looking at plants, water, birds, and other aspects of nature gives the cognitive portion of our brain a break, allowing us to be more focused and more patient.

When you’re caring for all aspects of yourself, you’ll find that you can operate more effectively and efficiently, and you will feel much happier.

Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup.