Self-care 101

Why self-care is essential for your wellbeing
Taking time for YOU can save your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing

Self-care; it’s a word that has been around for decades, but in our current world, with life and work as busy as ever, and not to mention living through a global pandemic, the need for self-care is at an all time high.  Self-care is a term we are hearing day in and day out, whether read in an article, listened to in a podcast, or simply heard in conversation, all serving as reminder about the importance of taking time for ourselves. As I sat down to write this article, I began to wonder; are we practicing what we preach?

I began reflecting on my own self-care practices, and if I’m being completely honest, I am awful at making time for myself. I would classify myself as one of those people who tells everyone that they need to take time for themselves, and here I am never listening to my own advice. Even though we know the importance of it, we often associate self-care as something frivolous or a luxury that we don’t have time for (for example, I would rather check X off the to do list rather than take 15 minutes for me.).

According to a recent Forbes article, Self-Care Isn’t Just Good For You – It’s Also Good For Your Productivity¹, self-care is essential for our physical, mental and emotional health. Not only does it allow us to replenish, but a little self-care can also increase our productivity.

Now I think we all know we deserve to take some time for ourselves, but where do we begin? Read on for some self-care ideas that will have you working on being your best self from the inside out:

• Our resident Naturopathic doctor, Julia Segal, talks about inflammation, how to recognize it and how to treat it in, ‘Surprising symptoms of inflammation you didn’t know about’.
• Margot McKinnon shares the link between exercise and the immune system in, ‘Move to Improve Your Immune System and Your Mental Health’.
• ‘Pelvic Floor: Where to Start? A Guide for the Confused and Overwhelmed’ will help you understand the Pelvic Floor and how to condition it through movement.
• Bethany Weir shares the 411 on how to get that amazing, deep stretch with Fascial Stretch Therapy (a must-try!) in, ‘Boost Your Flexibility with Fascial Stretch Therapy’.
• Dealing with Depression? Here’s How Pilates Can Help’ by Clarissa Pena shares how movement can heal.

Remember, self-care is not something that is luxurious, it’s essential for our mental, emotional and physical well-being. It doesn’t have to be long, and in fact, short moments of self-care can be very effective. In act of writing this article (and I hope reading it has the same effect on you!), I’ve realized that I need to make a personal commitment to taking more time for me. I’m going to start small, carving out 15-20 minutes everyday to do something completely for me – read a book, do my favourite face mask, or simply do nothing and just be present.  Give yourself a chance to be your best self from the inside out by taking a little time for you starting today! Who’s with me?

¹ Self-Care Isn’t Just Good For You – It’s Also Good For Your Productivity