Are you really taking care of yourself?

Every single day you wake up, go to work/college, do your regular routine activities, maybe hang out with your friends once in a while, eat out, watch movies, basically live a normal life. But let me ask you some really important questions which will help you to reflect.

• Are you really taking care of yourself?
• What is self-care according to you?
• Despite living a decent life, how much self-care do you think you truly indulge in?
• Is it doing something to make oneself happy? If yes, then is that happiness temporary or long-lasting? If not, then what is it?

Finding these answers within you will help you guide your thoughts regarding this practice.

If you ask me, Self-care is consciously taking out time to take care of one’s own physical & mental health. Often self-care is marketed as a luxury such as indulging in spa retreats, getting beauty services done, doing expensive skincare, writing in cute journals etc but in reality, It’s not a luxury, as everyone can afford to practice self care with whatever resources they have. Self-care is so much more than providing us with solutions that bring us temporary happiness. It could provide us a daily opportunity to grow into the person we want to become.

Read More: Top 10 Books to Read for Self Care

Practicing self care has multiple benefits such as

• Building resilience
• Inducing relaxation
• Improving relationships
• Increasing positive wellbeing
• Reducing burnout & exhaustion
• Improving the rates of happiness
• Reducing anxiety & depression among individuals

So here are a few signs that you’re taking care of yourself (If not, then this is a reminder to start doing that to enjoy all the benefits)

Read More: Self Care: What It Is And What It Isn’t

1. You Consider Self Care as a Priority

You practice self care for all the amazing health & wellness benefits you get from it, rather than doing it just because it’s trending and popular these days once in a while. Considering self care as a priority for you may seem like having a daily skincare routine, staying hydrated, reading a book everyday or anything that brings positive results due to being consistent, and you do it because you know it’s important for your wellbeing.

2. You Take Care of your Physical Health

You know how amazing you feel when you hit the gym, listen to your body, eat healthy, or take steps to cut off unhealthy food from your diet, and therefore you immerse yourself in the healing process by taking out at least a few minutes to take care of your physical health such as incorporating physical movement & eating something that’s good for your body. “Mindful eating” is also a great way which helps you to listen to your body, and guides you when to stop eating. It simply means enjoying your food without distractions. All of these practices help you to regain control of your health & you start feeling that you’re in charge of your health again.

3. You Spend Quality Time with Yourself Away from Distractions

Just like mindful eating, it’s extremely essential to take some time out for yourself and enjoy solitude. To spend some time alone away from distractions, you may practice a multitude of activities such as painting, journaling, creative writing, taking a walk, doing yoga, meditating, running etc. When you spend time alone, you start liking your company. It gives you immense strength & resilience that you can survive any storm alone, and can be relaxing & peaceful at the same time. It even helps to alleviate depression & anxiety!

4. You Proactively try to Take Care of your Mental Health

For you, mental wellbeing is as important as physical health. You take breaks when you really need it the most, instead of over-exerting yourself at work. You may draw healthy boundaries & say No when you really want to. You may repeat positive affirmations when you want to rewire your mind, ask for help when you need it rather than keeping things to yourself & staying closed in the shell of negativity & hopelessness.

Even taking the smallest of the steps count for something in the healing process. So if you said no to somebody, rather than doing things only to please them, then give yourself a pat on the back because it’s not easy. You know that Instead of being harsh on yourself, being kinder & pushing oneself gradually to do better is what’s needed for good mental health.

5. You are Learning Healthy ways of Expressing Emotions

Instead of reacting impulsively, if you have started gaining control over your emotions & the way you express them, then you’re genuinely winning in this life. Mastering your emotions takes a LOT of practice, but once you do it well, it makes all the difference. Distancing yourself for a few minutes when you’re angry, instead of bursting out in anger & hurting someone is one example to cool off & heal relationships faster, because we all know how damaging the anger is which happens in a split of a second, leaving behind regrets & guilt for months & even years.

6. You are Engaging in Activities that help you feel Refreshed

Energizing yourself & truly enjoying your life is an important aspect of self care. Only then you’ll be able to feel that life is really worth living. Therefore, if you’re indulging in habits that refresh you such as playing your favorite sport or game, spending time with your loved ones, watching something that’s fun, eating something that makes your heart happy, going for a trip, keep doing that for yourself for as often as you want until it’s balanced. Without balance, life may appear SO boring or even pathetic. No matter how ideal taking care of your physical & mental health looks like, it CAN get exhausting, especially if you’re doing it mindlessly without a purpose. So have a purpose for taking care of yourself.

In case you’re doing most of these things, kudos to you for taking care of yourself! You deserve this so much love In case you’re on the other end, don’t lose hope for your future healthy self. You can start anytime. Start making small changes everyday & you’ll see how far you’ll go to become the best version of yourself.