Are you being good to yourself?

By Dina Halaseh
Educational Psychologist

Spreading love is something we’re all very familiar with. This year, however, try committing to self-love. Here’s why.

Many of us run around trying to tick off every item on our to-do lists; cramming more things into our busy schedules that we forget to prioritise ourselves. Science has proven that slowing down is essential for taking care of our body, health and mental well-being.

What is self-care?

Self-care is simply setting aside some time every day to taking care of ourselves. It can be as simple as having a cup of coffee with a friend, some alone time with a book, exercising or even committing to sitting in a quiet area every day to relax. 

Giving our whole self (mind, body and spirit) what we need to function at our highest (and happiest) level, can make us more productive. People who practice self-care have better cognitive capability, concentration and focus.

The more self-care we indulge in, the more effort we can put towards all other aspects of our lives, such as education, work, kids or taking care of our home. 

This is precisely how it is with self-care. If we are exhausted, frustrated or tired, it doesn’t end well for our children either. How many times have we lashed out at our children because we were tired? 

Self-care practices

• Getting enough quality sleep 

• Exercising daily or going for a walk

•Practising mindfulness

• Listening to soothing music

• Practising one of our hobbies

• Journaling

• Having some alone time during the day

• Meditating

• Weaving a gratitude practice into our day

• Incorporating good nutrition as an integral part of our self-care routine

An often-overlooked priority regarding self-care is getting rid of all energy-consuming activities that we dislike. If we’re not enthusiastic about meeting a friend, let’s not. If we’re saying yes to everything, let’s learn to say no. If we put everyone else first at all times, let’s start by spending 15 minutes alone every day to look after ourselves.

Remember, our capacity to love others is limited only by our capacity to love ourselves.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine