More and more often we happen to read posts or articles that carry the word “self-care”. Not everyone knows that this concept, to date quite inflated, has its roots in a branch of the study of psychological well-being called "positive psychology".
The concept of taking care of oneself is much deeper than it may seem at first glance and has a lot to do with the position we decide to take in the world. I use the term "position" and not "role" with good reason. We can cover many roles in society (parent, worker, etc.), but the position in which we implement it must be comfortable for us, otherwise there will be an immeasurable increase in stress with consequent anxiety and nervousness.
When the position we take is not congenial to us, our quality of life is significantly affected and this can lead us to reconsider our choices. For example, if I have the role of self-employed worker, or that of a mother or any other role and then I am always dissatisfied, I live everything with performance anxiety, I feel that the judgment of others has a very strong weight on my choices, I always feel overwhelmed by fatigue and with little energy, I might begin to think that I have chosen a position that does not belong to me. We have to find a way to stay within our roles and our situations in a comfortable way, which allows us to live them with pleasure and not as something that we suffer and damage us.
This concept is the basis of self-care.
HOW TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE
The list of self-care rituals that we find commonly recommended in magazines or blogs must always be complemented by individualized nutrition and sleep hygiene advice to be effective (if we have high circadian rhythms, however hard we can put our body will always be in an energy deficit) and usually includes walks in nature, pursuing hobbies, scheduling empty moments to keep for yourself, various relaxation techniques and spending more time with friends.
It also often includes beauty rituals such as skincare routines, scented baths, make-up and moments of relaxation with reading and scented candles. These are extremely important activities for our psychological well-being, however they are not the panacea for all ills.
It is important to understand that taking care of yourself means discovering what we really need, which is what our personal energy drainage strategies are.What recharges an extroverted person with energy, for example, may not work for an introverted person.
Being aware of ourselves, of what is good for us and recharges us, without being affected by the judgments of society on the matter, is the first step to be comfortable inside ourselves. Find out if the best quality time is spent alone or with others and based on this, build your personal self-care activity list.
The life you live is one, making it comfortable and decorating it to your taste is taking care of yourself.
