Self-Care is Not Selfish!

Self-care has become a buzz word in recent years, and the self-care plan templates that are being used are not meeting people’s needs as they do not take your unique needs and busy lifestyles into consideration. Self-care plans should be tailored to your day-to-day life to avoid adding stress by trying to meet unrealistic expectations of a pre-made plan. The purpose of self-care is to ensure that you are taking care of your physical and mental health, and you can include your spiritual health as well if that is something that is important to you. Oftentimes, we put other’s needs before our own, whether it is work, children, parents, partners, or friends. Implementing self-care helps to avoid burnout by also considering your own needs and well-being. While self-care is important, many people struggle to maintain it. A self-care plan does not have to be elaborate, and the goal is to ensure that the plan you set for yourself is achievable, realistic, and makes you feel good. Let’s explore some ways that you can implement self-care into your day but remember that these may not work for you, and you can create your own activities.

• Movement: Our bodies require some movement to continue working properly. You do not have to do a challenging workout plan to move your body. This is a great opportunity to do the things you love. Some examples may be walking, swimming, playing with the children in your life, strength training, skating, and so many more!
• Nutrition: The food we eat can have a large impact on how we feel and development of disease. It is not necessary to completely change your eating, but it might be beneficial to add vegetables, fruit, beans, and grains to your diet.
• Sleep: Getting enough sleep is super important as it relates to how well our body and mind works. The average person will require 7-9 hours of sleep; however, keep in mind that depending on your individual situation, you may need more. In the brain health section of this website, there are a couple of articles about sleep and its importance.
• Relaxation: Many of us lead very busy lives with competing responsibilities. Sometimes it seems that we do not have enough time to breath. Relaxation techniques can improve mental and physical health significantly. Some of these may include breath work, meditation, body scan, or simply listening to music that you enjoy.
• Take micro-breaks: Throughout the day we become caught up in our work or responsibilities that we have, and we can go hours without taking a break. It has been shown that by taking 5-minute break every 1-2 hours, our performance and mental health improves. Taking a short 5-minute break make a major difference in how you feel.
• Do things that bring you joy: When is the last time you participated in a hobby? How long has it been since you last did something that brought you so much joy that you couldn’t wipe the smile off your face? This might be listening to a great song, playing a sport, making art, walking in nature, watching your favourite show, and so much more. It may be helpful to make a list of things that bring you joy and schedule 1-2 of them each day.

Many people do not practice self-care because they feel guilty or shame because they think it is selfish. Self-care is not selfish, and it isn’t a luxury, it is a necessity to live a rich, meaningful life. If you struggle with making a self-care plan or engaging in self-care, please do not hesitate to contact me at support@colorectalcancercanada.com and we will work through it together.