About
Self-care
/ˌselfˈker/
noun
- the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.
“autonomy in self-care and insulin administration”- the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.
“expressing oneself is an essential form of self-care” ¹
- the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.
Think of the things that you do for yourself, for just you. The things that make YOU happy. Now, think back to the last time you did one of those things that you did for just you. If it took you more than a few seconds to answer each question, if you had to give each question some serious thought, you are in the right place because you need some serious self-care.
Routine Re-Set
Having a serious illness or not, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routines and, well, life. When cancer enters the picture, the focus becomes all about appointments, treatments, feeling like crap, procedures, oh and all that life stuff before cancer happened. Even stopping to take a few deep breaths can be elusive. Building self-care into your routine is essential. Taking five minutes, if that’s all that is manageable, can help reset, refocus, and recenter your mood. You may even find your stress and anxiety level will decrease.
What’s Your Plan?
The great part of self-care is that you can make it what you want and when you want/need it. The downside to self-care is you make it what you want, how you want it and when you want it. It can seem overwhelming when everything else is going on around you. Not to worry, you’ve landed in the right place. I have some suggestions that will help make integrating self-care into your daily routine much easier.
Start small. For instance, if you’re in the car, take 3-4 deep cleansing breaths. On a slow count to five begin inhaling through your nose, deep – through the lower lungs; into your stomach. Hold to a count of four. Exhale through your mouth to a count of five. Think about it, how many times during an average day do you consciously take deep breaths? (and I don’t mean out of frustration). Doing 3-4 deep cleansing breaths while sitting in a waiting room, driving in the car – just about anywhere can help reduce your level of stress. You may even find yourself a bit more relaxed.
¹ “self-care, n.” 2019, Oxford University Press (OUP). https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/self-care