Women’s Health Week 2020 – Self Care

Women of Williamstown & the Inner west, there is no time like the present to start focusing on you. Taking care of yourself is so important and is the key to managing your health and well-being.  Williamstown Osteopath Liz believes ‘it all begins with two little words: self-care.‘

What is self-care?

Self-care, aka me time, is any activity that deliberately focuses on enhancing our mental, physical, emotional and social wellbeing. This is not a selfish act but an act that allows you to cope with the stresses of everyday life. If you are not taken care of, then how are you able to care for others?

Why is it so important?

Self-care allows our mind and body to rest and recharge. This applies to all walks of life; adults, teenagers, children, workplaces and every other man and their dog. Everyone needs to be able to escape the hustle and bustle of day to day life in order to be able to acknowledge and cope with how we are feeling.

Whether living through a global pandemic or not, there are a multitude of benefits from taking time out for yourself. It helps manage stress, anxiety as well as increase effectiveness and energy levels. So, what does self-care actually look like?

In order to care for our mental health, we need to look at every aspect that makes up a person. A big aspect of self-care is also identifying our coping mechanisms and making these a more positive experience. For example: instead of yelling in frustration, take a couple deep breaths while accepting that you are frustrated. My first task to you is discover what your coping mechanisms are J

Let’s look at some self-care activities we can start implementing from this very second.

Physical:

• Create a sleep routine
• Walk daily
• Discover a hobby that doesn’t end up being a chore eg indoor plants
• Regular meals and a balanced diet
• Yoga
• Diaphragm breathing techniques

Mental:

• Challenge negative thought processes
• Learn to say no to others
• Meditation
• Creating a boundary between work life and home life. Eg. Switching off email notifications when at home

Emotional:

• Accept emotions
• Start journaling so nothing gets bottled up inside
• Address 3 highlights of the day
• Address your own accomplishments

Social:

• Learn to maintain boundaries with work colleagues or acquaintances
• Ask for help from your close support crew
• Organise a coffee catch up or Facetime your nearest and dearest
• Schedule a date night with your spouse/partner