Self-care is the act of taking deliberate steps to improve one’s physical, emotional, and mental health. This is often done by prioritizing healthy eating, physical activity, stress management, and getting quality sleep. However, while self-care may be crucial for maintaining overall good health, in today’s fast-paced world, it can be easy to overlook just how important it is to take care of oneself.
This is why it is essential to keep in mind that self-care is not only a key component for cultivating long-term good health, but it can also be very empowering since it promotes self-efficacy by demonstrating that we can have significant positive impacts on our own health and well-being.
What Counts as Self-care?
One key aspect of self-care is getting enough sleep. When we get insufficient sleep, simple physical tasks become more challenging, leading to high levels of stress and emotions that are more volatile. Studies have even shown that during sleep deprivation, even mo ral judgment can be impaired.
Conversely, when well-rested, we are better able to handle the stresses of daily life. We are more resilient to stress, and our immune systems are better equipped to fight off illnesses.
Moreover, inadequate sleep has been linked to a wide range of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even dementia.
A key component of self-care is getting an adequate amount of good quality sleep.
Is Eating Well Self-care?
Yes! Nutrition is also a vital component of self-care because, simply put, we are what we eat.
Our blood supply is replaced every three months, our skin replaces itself every two months, and not to mention, our liver can regenerate in a matter of weeks! The building blocks for all these bodily renovations come from only one place: what we eat and what we drink.
Eating a sugary or highly processed diet compared to a balanced whole foods diet can majorly impact the composition of the brain and body. On the other hand, eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can help to maintain a healthy weight, boost immunity, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
Additionally, dietary patterns that emphasize high-quality foods, adherence to dietary recommendations, and a focus on plant-based foods have been demonstrated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, cancer, and all-cause mortality.
What is the Role of Physical Activity in Self-care?
Physical activity is essential for good health, considering how it profoundly affects our mental and physical health. The surface area of our body primarily consists of arms and legs, which means that we are designed to engage in regular physical activity. However, modern urban society is designed for sedentary living, and succumbing to this conflict can have significant consequences.
In fact, did you know that the absence of physical activity can have both short-term as well as long-term determinants on our mind and body?
This is where regular exercise comes into play since it helps to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It can also boost mental health by reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Research on physical activity has shown that higher levels of physical activity can even be a predictor of healthy and chronic disease-free years in adult men and women.
Regular physical activity can enhance mental health by reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Stress is the Root Cause of All Illness
Experiencing stress is one of the universal features of life, especially in today’s day and age, which many of us experience. Often, we deal with one stress just to have something else waiting for us around the corner.
The knee-jerk reaction in such situations is to try and avoid stress, but that’s not an achievable goal. Instead, we should work on our ability to handle stress and manage it effectively so it doesn’t significantly impair our quality of life or adversely affect relationships with co-workers, friends, or family.
Believe it or not, chronic stress has been linked to a wide range of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. The long-term activation of the stress response system in our body and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt almost all of your body's processes. This is why stress management is a necessary aspect of self-care.
Taking time to engage in relaxation techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing, and, importantly, engaging in joyful experiences with people we cherish are imperative in reducing the negative effects of stress and enhancing overall mental and physical health.
The Four Pillars of Self-Care | |
|---|---|
Adequate sleep | Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can impair your moral judgment. |
Good Nutrition | Dietary patterns that emphasize high-quality foods, adherence to dietary recommendations, and a focus on plant-based foods have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, cancer, and all-cause mortality. |
Physical activity | Research on physical activity demonstrates that higher levels of physical activity can even be a predictor of healthy and chronic disease-free adulthood. |
Stress Management | The long-term activation of the stress response system and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that come with it can disrupt almost all of your body's processes. |
We can only expect a flower to live and thrive when it grows under the appropriate conditions. If the plant is deprived of carbon dioxide, water, soil, or sunlight, it will likely weaken, wither, and die due to disease.
It is in this way that human health is similar because if our mind and body are continuously exposed to high stress, deprived of adequate sleep, good nutrition, or regular physical activity, it is bound to result in negative consequences. This could typically range from mental and physical anguish to a lower quality of life or from a higher prevalence of disease to a shorter life expectancy.
Key Takeaway
With all of this in mind, it goes by without saying that self-care is a critical component of maintaining good health. However, it is not always easy, as many people do not have the knowledge, skills, or experience to incorporate proper sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and stress management into their lives.
Fortunately, through the guidance of a Naturopathic Doctor, a healthcare professional who is specifically trained in teaching and guiding patients on self-care, you can gain invaluable information on how to promote mental and physical health in your life. Working with our credible naturopathic doctor at Aspire Natural Health to adopt a healthy lifestyle will allow you to make the most worthwhile investment for your long-term health and happiness.
