Self-Care and Knowing When to Rest

Our body works just like an engine. Without proper care, you may end up with heaps of problems, ranging from physical to psychological. Likewise, taking care of your body every day should be easier than nursing it back to health. However, many seem to neglect this because of various reasons.    

For example, making sure that you get enough fruits and vegetables in your diet may seem more complicated than choosing to eat whatever looks tasty and cheap. Most of us may also have experienced having to forgo several hours of sleep to catch a deadline. Despite all that, self-care is still essential for a better quality of life.  

What are Self-Care Strategies?

To put it simply, a self-care strategy is a set of activities that you choose to do in order to improve your well-being and function better. These activities can range from choosing a healthier diet to getting a good night’s sleep. 

Everyone experiences different stressors in life and may need different sets of self-care strategies depending on their situation. It’s essential to assess first where most of your stressors are coming from and choose which self-care method is best to catch up. 

Resting as Part of Self-Care

Many may see resting as a counterproductive activity. After all, instead of using your free time to rest, you could’ve spent that time to catch up with work instead. 

However, ample resting time is actually crucial for productivity. Without enough rest, you may end up finding yourself getting sick, falling behind on your responsibilities, and thus being less productive than you originally were.

Here are some ways you can integrate resting as part of your self-care routine. 

1. Sleep

Many studies have found a strong link between sleep and stress levels. A report by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 2013 shows that for most people, their stress level increases when their quality and length of sleep are poor. 

Less sleep also means worse concentration and a lack of motivation to take care of responsibilities, which may influence bigger aspects of your life, such as school or work.

Meanwhile, better sleep is known to have many benefits both for physical and emotional health. Other than decreasing cortisol levels and reducing stress and anxiety, getting enough sleep also improves our immune system. When our body is fighting off an illness, a good night’s sleep helps us recover faster.   

2. Creating healthy boundaries

Setting boundaries is also part of taking care of yourself. Many productivity tips may recommend taking part in as many activities as we could, as being involved in various activities is good for our personal growth. 

However, what many of these tips tend to overlook is that our body has its limits. Understanding these limits is just as important as the personal projects you do or the activities you choose.

Without boundaries, it’s very easy to overload your mind and body with work. Taking in too many responsibilities risks a possible burnout or even physical illness, which will make it harder for you to finish them.

Outside of work, boundaries in relationships, be it with family, friends, or your romantic partner, are also part of caring for yourself. Being overly dependent on others or letting them dictate your mood will be harmful to your well-being in the long run, which is why it’s crucial to set what’s okay and what’s not.    

3. Taking part in a hobby

Many people seem to think that hobbies need to be something you’re good at. Your hobby should also be something that brings in side income, so any sort of hobbies that don’t bring in money or worse, create new expenses, are seen as a waste of time.

This kind of mindset often makes us reluctant to engage in any hobbies. We may see hobbies as too time-consuming, preferring to scroll through social media or watch TV instead to unwind. 

It turns out that having a hobby is also a part of self-care with lots of benefits, especially for our mental health. Studies have shown that people who take part in creative activities feel more positive emotions throughout the day in comparison to other days with no creative activity (Conner, DeYoung & Silvia, 2018). 

Engaging in a hobby, especially creative ones such as painting, is also closely tied to reduced cortisol levels and lower blood pressure, which equals better physical health in the long run (Kaimal, Ray & Muniz, 2016). 

Finding the Right Self-Care Method

There are many ways to practice self-care, and there is no “perfect” way to do so. After all, self-care is really just listening to your mind and body, tuning in to what’s wrong or what’s lacking. 

To find the right self-care method, you have to first identify which areas in life you are currently struggling with. For example, you may feel unmotivated because you’ve been too busy with work and not enough rest, which means getting more rest is the right form of self-care for you.

Finding the right self-care strategy by yourself isn’t easy. Talking to others about it, be it with friends, family, or Reyo will gain you a different perspective to understand more about yourself and finally find the perfect self-care method for you.

References:   

American Psychological Association. (2013, January 1). Stress and sleep. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/sleep

Conner, T. S., DeYoung, C. G., & Silvia, P. J. (2018). Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(2), 181-189.

Davis, T. (2018, December 28). Self-Care: 12 Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201812/self-care-12-ways-take-better-care-yourself

Kaimal, G., Ray, K., & Muniz, J. (2016) Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art Making, Art Therapy, 33:2, 74-80, DOI: 10.1080/07421656.2016.1166832

Scott, E. (2022, May 23). 5 Self-Care Practices for Every Area of Your Life. Retrieved from Verywell Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/self-care-strategies-overall-stress-reduction-3144729