Page 39 - 2021 English Magazine - Final
P. 39

What you do in your day-to-day life might seem
                                                           like what people typically categorize as self-care:
 As the lockdowns have enforced walls be-                  eating adequately, getting enough rest from work,
 tween people and society, so has solitary
 Tips on    the hearts of others. With this context, our   exercising from time to time. But self-care is so
 life built walls between our hearts and
                                                           much more than that. Self-care is also having fun,
 Self-Care  topic for the day is introduced:self-care.  You might envy friends who can do intense work-  listening to the needs of your body, broadening
        outs and have good physiques, but if you can’t
                                                           your  horizons,  overcoming  obstacles,  improving
        make it through the first set of that full-body work-
                                                           yourself through detours and failures, accepting
        out, it’s okay. You might prefer keeping your emo-  who you are and appreciating the life you have.
 by Ng Yu Xuan  tions private and decline sharing them with friends,   Self-care gives purpose to your life, even when life
        that’s okay too. There is no ‘better’ way to practise   is hard. When you wake up with hope brimming in
        self-care. Preferring to be alone does not make    your heart for the day and go to sleep with
        you a friendless person, and if someone tells you   satisfaction soothing your mind as you dream, no
        you’re better off reading literature works than play-  star in the night sky will shine as bright as you do.
        ing games, feel free to do whichever makes you

        feel happier and healthier in the long run. As long
        as your methods make you feel better and do not
        harm others in the process, they are good meth-       A good resource for topics related to wellbeing :
        ods.                                                             Very Well Mind
                                                                    https://www.verywellmind.com/
        As life changes frequently, you should also reassess
        your life and change your self-care plans according-
        ly. Make small changes, one at a time. Prioritize one
 What is self-care?  Who needs self-care?  Self-love vs self-care  of the five aspects if there is a need for it. For exam-  “In the day-to-day of life, your routine al-
        ple, if you’re under a lot of stress, prioritize mental   ready looks like what you typically catego-
 Self-care is the actions we  Self-care is for everyone! A  Self-care is a part of a broad-
 take to care for ourselves  common  misconception is  er concept known as self-  and physical states. If you’re in a slump,   rize as self-care:
 so that we are mentally,  that only people who are ex-  love. The core of self-love is   prioritize social, spiritual and emotional   working out, eating right, getting
 physically,  and  emotionally  periencing hard times or are  to recognize and embrace   states. If you procrastinate too much,   enough sleep, and taking time to relax.
 healthy. Note that the sen-  under a lot of stress need to  our true nature, to under-  prioritize spiritual states. At the end   But self-care is also about clarifying and
 tence above is an active sen-  care for themselves. In reali-  stand and honour our own   of the day, keep in mind that self-  setting boundaries, choosing loving rela-
 tence – self-care is an action  ty, everyone should practice  truths instead of being in-  care should always be a priority   tionships, doing fulfilling work, learning

 that requires our active par-  self-care because  it is ex-  fluenced by the perceptions   in itself, even when you feel like   new things, questioning your beliefs, hav-
 ticipation in it!  tremely beneficial not only  and expectations of soci-  you don’t have enough time to   ing fun, planning for your future, dealing with
 for us but for our loved ones  ety; whereas self-care is an   squeeze in anything. When you’re   your struggles head-on, living intentionally,
 “Love yourself first, and   too. By taking good care of  action we take in order to   caring for all aspects of yourself,   asking for help, and keeping your stress lev-
 everything else falls in line.  ourselves, we optimize our  practice self-love. Caring for   you’ll find that you are   els in check. It’s being responsible for yourself in
 You really have to love   ability to show love for both  ourselves, rather than rely-  able to operate more   all ways. It’s doing no harm to yourself, and pro-
 yourself to get anything   ourselves and the people  ing on the care of others or   effectively and effi-  tecting yourself from harm. It requires never aban-
 done in this world.”  around us.  solely focusing our efforts   ciently.  doning your own needs and always being there for

 —— Lucille Ball  on the needs of others.                  yourself.”
                                                                                     – Mud Coaching Blog
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