Sunday, November 7, 2021
Welcome to my Self-Care Sunday’s B.R.E.A.T.H.S. blog. Since I started blogging in May 2021, I have been giving tips on how to maintain proper selfcare. Some may view selfcare as selfish, but that is furthest from the truth. We must take care of our bodies first in order to care for anyone else, and if we let that slide, our mental, physical, and emotional health will start to deteriorate. Plus, if we model great health for ourselves, then the ones we care for will most likely pick up on those positive traits and habits. If we model stress, anxiety, pain, fear, and anger, then unfortunately our loved ones will pick up those negative conditions. Below is a list of why self-care is important (created on my first Self-Care Sunday’s blog post).
Top 5 Reasons Why Self-care is Important:
- Loving oneself. It is difficult to love and care for others if you do not love and care for yourself.
- Relationships. Likewise, it is difficult for others to love you if you do not love yourself.
- Health. When we love and care for ourselves, our bodies are healthy in return. When we start to ignore that, we begin to experience pain and injury.
- Relaxation. Most of us work an awful lot, it was programmed into our brains since we were young. Taking time out to wind down is necessary with our busy lifestyles.
- Family. We are all models in our family, especially parents, and it is important to demonstrate to our loved ones how to take good care of ourselves. We want the best for our family, so we must show them how to treat ourselves like royalty!
What Does Self-Care Look Like?
Skincare
- Showers/baths
- Daily/weekly facials
- Skin cleansers and serums (See my Beauty Blog)
- Exfoliate
- Moisturize
- Sunscreen
- Peels
- Massage
- Manicure/Pedicure
Haircare*
Bodycare
- Exercise/movement
- Proper food intake
- Drink plenty of water
- Breathe fresh air often
- Physical therapy
- Stretching
- Pilates/Yoga
- Massage (see my list of types of massage)
Mindcare*
Self-Care Sunday Conclusion
Self-care has been a slow and steady learning experience for me, and something I still have struggles with. I have found that taking time at least one day out of the week, marking it on the calendar, planning an activity or rest, I feel more balanced throughout the week and I am more aware of my self-care needs. Self-care Sunday’s blog was created so I can document my journey, reflect, grow, share, and help others understand how to start showing oneself love through a variety of self-care strategies I have picked up along the way.
Sending lots of love and self-healing energy!
Dr. Jaime Brainerd, Ed.D.
Self care is sooooo important! Something I live my life by!!