Being both in the massage field and personal training field, I have learned that one of the most important practices to take in is the practice of Self-Care.
So, what exactly is Self-Care?
The Oxford Dictionary defines Self-Care as the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health. It is the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular, during periods of stress.
According to the American Psychological Association, chronic stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. And, more than 75 percent of all physician office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
Here are some simple self-care practices you can do every day!
For your body and self:
- Drink water!
- Exercise
- Stretch
- Meditate
- Sleep/rest
- Eat well
- Personal time for you!
- LAUGH!
- Hobbies
- Spend time with loved ones
- Be out in nature; detach yourself from electronics
- Aromatherapy
- Vacations
For your office space:
- Keep fresh cut flowers in treatment room or office. (Live plants help to dispel discordant energy!)
- Use essential oils on yourself, in rooms and offices
- Open the window if possible; nothing does justice like fresh air!
- “Smudging,” i.e., burning herbs and incense to clear negative energy. (Be careful of too much smoke or strong smells you may be averse to. I, personally, like to smudge with South American Polo Santo Wood.)
For your mental and emotional health:
- Intention–Maintain an awareness of your separate self
- Relax! Use meditation to help quiet your mind
- Pray; Call in a higher power and ask for guidance. Spirituality does pay a roll in our personal health!
If we give out much in our work, we need to have something coming in on the same wavelength. Here are some ways to refuel yourself:
- Be outside for at least one hour every day
- Vary your days, doing at least one new thing every week
- Live a balanced life; if you don’t, currently, do this, then find new ways of putting more balance in your life
See things from all kinds of different angles.
- Vacations–even small ones–help enormously.
- Cultivate the friendship and counsel of peers with whom you can discuss difficult issues.
(Finally, my favorite part: )
- Go get some bodywork done!
Massage has been proven to release those feel-good hormones, and it puts your system in a parasympathetic response, which is our rest and digest mode.
If you cannot accomplish all of these approaches, ensure that you are doing some of them, and look to add one, two, or a few of these suggestions every week.
We should never put off proper self-care.
