You are Stronger Than You Think

The Importance of of taking care of yourself

“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” — Bernice Johnson Reagon

It is interesting when you are not feeling well, you sometimes feel the need for someone close to your heart to be next you and to take care of you. This feeling makes you feel vulnerable, sicker, and weaker when you are alone. Your emotions play games on you… you feel sorry for yourself.

I recently tested positive for corona. While I was in isolation, I felt different. The daily body aches, tiredness, and dizziness did not weaken or depress me. It was the most time I ever felt happy and grateful that no one was next to me… It was not about me anymore, it was about protecting my loved ones and lifting myself up by myself.

Despite the struggle, I still found the strength to get up every morning with a mission. My goal was to be there for myself and to push myself to do all the right things to boost my energy and improve my health condition.

I got rid of some bad habits and adopted good ones to take care of my body. I stopped smoking, forced myself to eat healthy even though I lost my appetite, sipped healthy drinks all day long to boost my immune system, took a break from news, rested, meditated, reconnected with old friends, slept well, listened to self-development videos, and watched uplifting movies.

My recent experience opened my eyes to something crucial. It made me realize that self-care is not an option anymore. It is vital not only for my physical health, but for my emotional and mental wellbeing.

Caring for yourself is not selfish. It actually makes you a kinder and more compassionate version of yourself.

If you take care of yourself, you:

1- Establish a good relationship with “yourself”

Carving out time for yourself makes you feel good and boosts your self-esteem. It reminds you that you are important.

The act of taking care of yourself sends a positive signal to your brain and releases endorphins which help you improve your feeling of self-worth.

When you maintain a good relationship with yourself, you spread the good feelings to the people around you.

2- Relieve stress

Stress and anxiety are inevitable in our daily activities. They can have harmful effects on both our mental and physical wellbeing.

When you embrace good habits like practicing meditation, journaling, and staying away from negativity, you improve your mood and increase your energy.

3- Stimulate positive thoughts

For as long as I can remember, I always put myself last, if not totally ignored myself. During my isolation, I had enough time to think and learn that the priority should be me.

When you know that you are also important, you develop a positive attitude for yourself. You find yourself refocusing your mind. You unwind and change your attitude towards yourself as well as others.

Knowing your worth is the best gift you can give yourself. If you wish to take care of others, make sure you look out for yourself first and here is how you can start:

1- Manage your physical health

While we intend to, we often find ourselves complaining about time and low energy which stops us from taking care of our physical health. Reality is, we do not seriously give it a try. You can quit talking about it and start doing it. Do not neglect your physical health and blame it all on stress and time.

Find time for good habits like getting enough sleep, regular exercise, reducing the junk food, and drinking enough water.

2- Manage your mental health

Take a break from your worries and pressures. If you cannot change stressful situations, why dwell in them. Take some time to clear your mind. Start your day off with a 10–15 minutes’ meditation, practice gratitude, keep a journal, go out and enjoy nature, pursue a hobby, or talk to people close to you.

Whichever method you select, try to do something you enjoy every day. These small practices will help you focus, re-energize you, and lower your anxiety.

3- Focus on work-life balance

Put yourself on your schedule. Make the time off about you. Take a break. Stop taking your work home with you. When it is your day off, spend time with your family or friends, or simply do things you appreciate.

Work-life balance makes you less susceptible to burnout. You will find yourself more productive, having better impact on your relationships, and prioritizing what is important to you.

4- Start saying “No”

Balance your life to be able to focus on your mental health. If you think an idea is exhausting to you, allow yourself not to do it. You do not have to justify yourself when you refuse to do things that drain you. The ability to say “no” means you are being honest and fair to yourself and you are in control of your life.

While it may make you feel anxious or guilty in the beginning, when you learn how to say “no” you feel empowered whilst still maintaining good relationships with others. It helps you to set proper boundaries and concentrate on your needs.

I went through a lot of difficulties this year. Regardless of what they were, I know there was a hidden blessing each hardship. The best way through them is to have the courage to change, keep the faith, be strong, and be grateful.

The only person responsible to take care of you is you. If you do care about yourself and about the people you love, you will find the strength within you to do whatever it takes to be well.

“We are all creatures of emotion”. Let us put our vulnerable emotions aside and start bettering our lives.

The world is not getting any better, it can get overwhelming. You owe it to yourself to do something good to cope with these stressful times. Put an action plan and begin with your positive journey. Always remind yourself that you are amazing, and you are worth it. YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK. Practice self-care now if you aim for a happier life.