The busy lives of Assistants make self-care often seem like an unrealistic goal. But neglecting your own needs can have negative consequences for your physical and mental health. No individual is an island, it’s important to take time out for yourself to maintain a healthy equilibrium between work, family life and socialising.
Here are four reasons self-care is important:
- Self-care improves relationships
One of the most important things to consider, especially if you currently work in a demanding role and have a busy home life, is how both affect each other. Having less time can exacerbate disagreements with partner, children, or other family members. Self-care is vital for maintaining good stress levels, which is crucial to avoiding unnecessary arguments with others.
- Self-care prevents burnout
Going above and beyond for your job is an admirable quality, but relentlessly pushing yourself to the limits day in, day out will inevitably take its toll. If you don’t look after yourself though, you are much more likely to burn out. When this happens, you can feel exhausted all the time, are not motivated in life, and feel depressed over time. This negatively impacts both mental health and physical well-being – leading to poor sleeping patterns, lack of appetite, fatigue, etc.
- Self-care boosts self-esteem
Taking a little time out each day can help you feel more confident about yourself and less stressed, especially if you’ve been feeling lethargic for a while. For example, spending a few minutes going over what you have achieved that day will make it easier to face the next one with renewed vigour. Try making a list of all your achievements throughout the week and keep referring to it when you hit a rough patch. This is an effective strategy for keeping up motivation levels.
- Self-care boosts physical health
If you are constantly tired, it’s difficult to stay healthy. Not being able to concentrate fully throughout the day is a sign that your mind isn’t getting enough rest at night, which can have serious consequences for your physical well-being too. However, if you make time each day for something relaxing or interesting – such as a hobby or watching reruns of all your favourite TV shows – this will improve the quality of your sleep and make you feel happier and healthier overall.
Self-care is more important than ever in today’s society because there are many demands on our time and energy, including work stress and financial worries. It’s easy to feel pressured by the need to excel at work and focus on family life but taking time to look after yourself in the process is extremely important to avoid your mental health deteriorating in the future.
Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s about nurturing your mind and body, so they are better equipped to help you lead a happier and productive life.
What are some self-help techniques you use? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
