Why Make Self-Care Your New Year’s Resolution
Self-care is taking center stage in 2019, and it’s here to stay.
There’s an important meeting you’ve been working on all week with loads of paperwork and deadlines, and your calendar is packed with to-dos. So, how do you make time for everything? You cancel plans, skip your workouts, cut back on social outings, and forgo eating. Sound familiar?
Workaholics used to be looked at as hard workers, driven, and a positive to living the best life. But, as people spend more and more hours at the office and less time outside or with loved ones, they tend to do damage to their bodies and burn out. In fact, a study by the American Psychological Association (APA) says more than 50 percent of Americans are stressed and overworked. Additionally, the annual cost to employers is $300 billion in stress-related health care and missed work, according to the APA.
While working hard is essential to achieve your career goals, it’s also important to take care of your health. Self-care goes beyond eating healthy and working out. It’s about managing your mental health and surrounding yourself daily with things that create a positive effect on your life.
No matter how the term may sound, self-care is essential for your physical, emotional, and mental health. While you create your New Year’s resolutions, you shouldn’t neglect self-care and here’s why:
Stress Management
A little stress is OK in life. It can help motivate you to get things done. However, constant stress and anxiety can affect your physical and mental health. Daily self-care habits, like monthly massages, yoga, meditation, exercise, laughter and spending quality time with loved ones, can improve your mood, boost energy, and increase confidence.
Improved Physical Health
Physical health is beyond exercise—which is important too—but keeping good hygiene, adequate sleep, and healthy eating are all good habits for self-care. These daily habits help with your physical health, both internally and externally. These can help you reduce any body aches, improve appearance, and boost overall mood.
Healthy Work-Life Balance
Overworked combined with the company of stress and exhaustion can make you less productive and disorganized. Not only can being burnt out make you emotionally depleted, but it also can lead to a wide array of health issues, from anxiety and depression to heart conditions and insomnia. Self-care habits like shutting off electronics, setting boundaries, going for a walk or spending time with loved ones can help you stay focused, productive and motivated—not to mention, less stressed.
Say “No”
You want to get that promotion, so you say “yes” to that extra work responsibility. Or, you aim to please your significant other and say “yes” to run a few errands for them. But saying yes can leave you stressed because there are not enough hours in the day to take care of you. Self-care is important to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself. It produces positive emotions and boosts your mood, confidence, and self-esteem. Saying “no” is a form of self-care and reminds yourself and others that your needs are important too. So, before you aim to please others, think about your feelings first. If it will leave you feeling stressed or depleted, politely say no.
From physical health to mental wellness, here’s how to successfully make self-care your New Year’s Resolution.
1. Surround yourself with positive people
2. Get regular monthly massages
3. Read for thirty minutes a day
4. Learn to say no
5. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day
6. Meditate or do deep breathing for five minutes a day
7. Write in a journal daily
8. Laugh at least once a day
9. Avoid overthinking
10. Shut off electronics/avoid social media first thing in the morning and before bed
