The term self care gets thrown around a lot; many people think it means being selfish and indulging in fancy things while pampering yourself to make yourself feel better. The truth is that self care is so much more.
Self care is about caring for your mental, emotional, physical, social, spiritual, practical, and intellectual needs so that you can feel balanced and well. Self care should be about taking care of yourself and giving yourself the time and energy to recharge and refresh so you can confidently tackle all of life’s curve balls.
Self care can also play a vital role in keeping not only our mental health strong but also our physical health strong. When our minds and bodies are feeling stressed out, and we are not practicing self care, we can feel the physical effects as much as the mental effects. If you are not practicing self-care regularly you may find that you are experiencing low energy, less patience, an increase in headaches, difficulty falling and staying asleep, burnout, and difficulty concentrating.
Self care is not just for people struggling with their mental health; everyone should practice self care to keep overall wellness and mindfulness running at their best. Self care comes in many different forms. While soaking in a bubble bath while enjoying a face mask might be what works for some, it might not work for all. Sometimes, self care can be as simple as setting up boundaries that make life easier, paying bills that are starting to cause stress or anxiety, or even cleaning out the crawl space or garage.
If you have money to spend on self care, that’s great, but if not, there are many ways to focus on self care and keep the budget happy. Taking time out of your day to go for a walk alone or with friends is a great option, or you can sit and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful sights and sounds.
In 100 Mile House, we are fortunate to have so many beautiful, peaceful places one can visit within our town limits. The marsh makes a great place to enjoy a leisurely stroll or a moment sitting on the bench watching the birds. The great thing about the marsh is that you can even enjoy walking around it during the winter months!
In 100 Mile House, we also have one of the most beautiful parks in the Cariboo! Centennial Park is full of perfect little spots to sit! You have quite a few benches and spots right by the creek, there are trails for walking, and the icing on the cake is the beautiful waterfall! The park washrooms and gates are now closed for the season, but the rest of the park remains open for enjoyment. Another great budget-friendly resource is your local library. They loan out books and have a selection of DVDs to rent if your form of self care looks like a night in with a movie.
If you are on a budget but do have funds to put towards your self care ritual, we have some great stores in town that offer lots of great options at a budget-friendly price. They have lots of bath products as well as a great book section with lots of crossword, word search, and sudoku books.
Self care is something we all can enjoy no matter what the budget is, it should be something that brings you joy, peace and relaxation. I hope this article has encouraged you to start your self care journey or has given you more ideas to continue the journey you have already started. Take time for yourself, and your future self will thank you.
Be kind to yourself, practice self-care, and reach out for help if you need it. Contact CMHA South Cariboo for mental health support at (250) 395-4883. You can always call the Emergency Crisis Line 24 hours a day @ 1-888-353-2273, or you can always call the suicide crisis line at # 9-8-8. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Kristin Wells, CMHA community navigator
