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What Makes Self Care So Important?:

Self care is not an uncommon concept. There’s no doubt that most of us have heard these two words. Healthcare professionals are promoting these two words like never before. But what do they mean?

What is Self Care?

Research shows that people have a misunderstanding about self care. The majority think that self care is the act of making your life better today than it was yesterday. This is actually not the case. This is called self-improvement. Self care means doing things today that will make you happy tomorrow. This often includes caring your physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Why is Self Care so Important?

The present world is facing a haywire of diseases. For the past few decades, the health sector has been specifically targeting the control of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and more. However we can’t forget about the communicable diseases. The most recent example is the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of these diseases are caused by poor self care. Research shows that about 60% -70% of non-communicable diseases can be easily controlled by practicing proper self care. This applies for the communicable diseases as well. So the question remains, in today’s day and age, what are the best ways to improve your self care?

10 Best Methods to Improve Your Self Care (both physically and mentally)

          1.) Regular exercise is very important – It keeps you fit and helps you avoid most of the non communicable diseases.

          2.) Eat a healthy diet (less carbohydrates / more vegetables and proteins).

          3.) Get enough sleep – At least 6-8 hours is important for proper brain function.

          4.) Avoid stressful activities.

          5.) Meditate.

          6.) Engage in religious activities – This can keep your mind clear and reduce stress.

          7.) Regular medical follow ups – It’s important to identify risk factors for diseases. It also allows for early treatments.

          8.) Drink plenty of water – This is the single best practice for a good health. It gives you a physically healthy body and improves mental health as well.

          9.) Maintain good relationships with others – Your friends and family are the two most important groups of people that can help you live happily.

          10.) Have a clear plan ahead – Make your goal achievable, set targets, and work for it.

Proper self care is achievable! Many people think it takes a lot of extra effort. However, we can see that with just a few tweaks to your daily routine, you’ll be on your way to improving your self care in no time.

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References:

1.) Supporting self care in general practice ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2151815/ )

2.) Supporting self care in general practice ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2151815/ )

3.) The experience of self care : a systematic review ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27819888/ )