Around this time of year, when we’re all caught up with the mad rush of gift giving, holiday attending, and sitting in traffic, it becomes extremely easy to lose track of our own self care. This can lead to major issues such as a weakened immune system, increased anxiety, and decreased performance at work or school. That’s why it’s more important than ever to develop strong self-care habits and maintain them during the holidays. Especially if you intend to start the next year strong. So in this episode, we’ll do a beginners guide on self-care…what it is, why it matters, and how to build it into your life.

What is self care?

Self-care is the practice of taking care of one's own physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This can include activities such as exercising, eating well, getting enough sleep, practicing mindfulness, and engaging in leisure activities. The concept of self-care has been around for centuries, but it has gained popularity in recent years as more people have become aware of the importance of taking care of themselves.

• First coined by psychotherapist Thomas Adam in the early 19th century
• Dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times…the concept of hygeia was the practice of taking care of one's own health.

Today, self-care is largely viewed as an essential, but secondary practice across genders and cultures.

But it really should become a primary practice…

The benefits of incorporating self-care into your daily routine

Self-care can provide numerous benefits from a productivity and self-actualization perspective. Such as

• Improved physical and mental health
• Increased motivation and productivity
• Enhanced creativity and problem-solving abilities
• Better relationships and connections with others

Overall, self-care is essential for achieving productivity and self-actualization. By taking care of yourself, you can improve your physical and mental health, increase your motivation and productivity, enhance your creativity and problem-solving abilities, and improve your relationships and connections with others.

Incorporating Self-Care into Your Daily Routine

To ensure that self-care is a regular part of your daily routine, you can follow some simple steps:

• Create a plan - this is critical so that you know how you’ll practice
• Set aside dedicated time - this ensures you know when you’ll practice
• Change your environment to support it - this ensures that the space you are in pushes you towards practice