The Importance Of Caring For Yourself

Caring for yourself is an act of survival and should be prioritized as such. Without self-care, your best self is less likely to shine through. But self-care isn’t all about pampering (though pampering is deserved and fitting at times). When you’re chained to your schedule and a luxurious trip or spa session is out of the question, it’s best to go back to basics. If you’re pressed for time, start with your needs. Think Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Malsow’s pyramid identifies human needs, from the base up, as belonging to the following categories – physiological, security, social, self-esteem, and self-fulfillment. It is arranged hierarchically. While Maslow’s pyramid was first expounded in 1943 and has, in recent years, received criticism from psychologists for being overly-schematic, the pyramid is a great model for tracking your engagement with your basic human needs. Even the busiest of schedules can accommodate these categorical needs. Start from the bottom of the pyramid. Your physiological needs come first. It may seem overly simple, but make sure that you’re scheduling time to feed and hydrate yourself. A survey by the Nutrition Information Center at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center found that 75% of adults are dehydrated. Considering the body’s reliance on water to function well, this is alarming. A baseline act of self-care is to carry around a water bottle or keep a carafe at your desk. Your body and your mind will thank you for it.

Next, consider your security needs. Your home, as your primary shelter, falls under this category. Schedule dedicated time to clean your home. It doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Invest in cleaning products that are good for you (free of harmful chemicals) and smell delightful. Do what you can to turn this routine task into an enjoyable one. If cleaning isn’t your thing, treat yourself to a cleaning service. A clean and decluttered home can have a marked impact on mood and perspective.

The next tier of the Hierarchy belongs to your social needs. Scheduling time with a friend can easily be worked into a busy week. Combine your social time with your meal time. That way you get to enjoy the pleasure of a friend’s company while meeting your physiological and social needs in one sitting. If you’re still having trouble finding the time, make a phone call. It’s a little old school, but it meets the need more readily than a text conversation does.

The next need to consider is your self-esteem. A great way to meet this need is with positive affirmations. Try to spend a minute in front of the mirror each morning. Look yourself in the eye and speak aloud any positive affirmations that come to mind. Try, for starters, “you’re powerful”, “you’re beautiful”, “you’re intelligent”. It’s all true! Speaking loving words to yourself is one of the wisest ways to practice self-care.

And finally, the last tier of the hierarchy, self-fulfillment. Meeting this need is more complicated than the others, but it’s just as easy to gauge whether you’re meeting this need. Are you happy in your work? Are you happy with how you spend your free time? If you take a look at your schedule and find that the pieces taking up the majority of your time don’t give you joy, the greatest act of self-care for you may be to spend your free moments searching for your next endeavor. Even if you feel like you’re too busy to get started, all it takes is a couple of minutes here and there to search, put the materials together, and apply. You’ll reap the benefits in the long run.

When you’re pressed for time and looking for creative ways to take care of yourself, consider these basic categories.