Self-Care for Women
By Extension Associate Professor, Cindy Nelson
![Woman reading a book](/mentalhealth/images/selfcare2.jpg)
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers who do so much for their families. Take time today, and in the future, for some much need self-care. Self-care refers to taking care of yourself by doing anything that contributes to overall wellness: physical, mental, spiritual, intellectual, etc. (Glowiak, 2020). Self-care is important to help women overcome stress, burnout, and fatigue, as well as everyday life challenges. Self-care can help you refresh, rejuvenate, and recharge (Coaston, 2017).
Research indicates that consistent self-care can increase concentration, diminish depression and anxiety, decrease stress and frustration, and increase energy and happiness. Self-care can positively affect our physical health by decreasing stroke, cancer, and heart disease (Glowiak, 2020). Taking time for yourself can help you become a better person and parent.
The biggest barrier to self-care is time. Here are some ways to increase the success of personal self-care:
- Give yourself permission to engage in self-care and plan a specific time for it
- Enlist the help and support of family and friends
- Make self-care intentional and consistent
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Personalize your self-care routine to fit your lifestyle and needs
Create a self-care plan that will benefit you personally. Here are a few suggestions of effective self-care activities (Wei, 2017):
- Breathe-try some deep breathing techniques or guided breathing exercises to help calm the mind and reduce stress
- Exercise-physical activity can boost mood and increase energy
- Sleep-create a healthy bedtime routine to achieve a more restful sleep
- Eat well-adequate nutrition is linked to the prevention of inflammation in the body, which can contribute to chronic stress
- Stay socially connected-prevent feelings of isolation and loneliness by spending time with family and friends
- Read-reading can help you relax as well as provide you with valuable intellectual stimulation
- Express gratitude-make a “thankful” list, write a note of appreciation, or verbally express gratitude to help you focus on the positive things in life
- Spend time outdoors-spending time in nature can add a depth of peace and calm along with increasing Vitamin D that you can get from sunshine
- Unplug-limit technology use and model appropriate behavior (Self-care, n.d.)
While parenting responsibilities and duties can often be exhausting, taking time for self-care can help you regain energy, find happiness, and focus on what matters most (Choate, 2016). Self-care can help enhance healthy family associations, improve parenting relationships, and promote overall well-being (Self-care, n.d.).
Additional Resources
- Here is a link for 50 ideas to caring for yourself as a parent: https://parenthetical.wisc.edu/2018/03/19/what-does-parental-self-care-look-like-50-ideas-for-caring-for-yourself-as-a-parent/
References
- Choate, L. (2016). Why is parent self-care so important? Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/girls-women-and-wellness/201601/why-is-parent-self-care-so-important
- Coaston, S. (2017). Self-care through self-compassion: A balm for burnout. The Professional Counselor Volume 7, Issue 3, Pages 285–297 http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org © 2017 NBCC, Inc. and Affiliates doi:10.15241/scc.7.3.285
- Glowiak, M. (2020). What is self-care and why is it important for you? Southern New Hampshire University. https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2020/04/what-is-self-care
- Self-care and mental health, (n.d.). Active Minds. https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/
- Wei, M., (2017). Self-care for the care giver. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/self-care-for-the-caregiver-2018101715003