When was the last time you ever committed to doing something for yourself? Something that was an investment to your better self and well-being? If you can’t recall the last time you ever did such a thing, then let this be a friendly reminder. As it turns out, August is the National Wellness Month, focusing on the importance of self-care that help to improve both internal and external health. [1] But why is self-care so important? Do we even know why it’s so good to take care of ourselves to begin with? Let’s explore this very question today so that we don’t take healthful habits for granted! Are you ready? Then let’s get to it!

The Ripple Effect

Sure, eating salads and going to a Pilates class sounds all fine and good, but other than “looking” good and keeping up with the trends, why is, at their core, something like diet and exercise good for us? Let’s call this the ripple effect. Doing one healthy habit extends to all areas of our life.

Relationships

Let’s hit close to home and start with your relationships, including with yourself. Self-care can be seen as nurturing yourself. When you take care of yourself, you’re showing a level of respect for YOU. You know that in doing so, you simply feel better. It’s like a gift. And when you start acting kinder with yourself, your confidence and self-respect both improve. Together, those two can help you to feel better in your own skin and affect how you present yourself to the world. Confidence brews success. You’ll attract better people into your circle, your job performance will improve, and you’ll know how not to fall victim to marketing schemes, bullies, and trends that are based on people’s lack of confidence.

Then there’s your family. By taking care of you, you can then take the next step and be able to help to care of others. If you’ve got a loved one who’s sick, you can help them to recover and shower them with a flood of love and appreciation, strengthening your relationship. Ever heard of the gas mask analogy? It goes like this. You and someone you care about are in an airplane when, suddenly, it’s starting to go down. While your first instinct may be to put the gas mask on your loved one, you’ll most likely pass out while attempting to do so. Which is why you need to put your mask on first so that you can then put your loved one’s gas mask on and not pass out in the process. This analogy has been used several times to prove a point about self-care, and I still find it to be one of the better ones out there. If you want to show up and be a better spouse, partner, parent, or friend, you need to take care of yourself. Otherwise, your health, mood, and mortality (yes, I’m going there) will all be affected.

After all, how can you expect yourself to walk down the aisle if you’re confined to your bed? Do you think you could enjoy a birthday celebration if your mind isn’t in the right place? How long do you want to be with your partner or child- before they die, or after? It’s something that we should all seriously consider when it comes to those we hold dear in our hearts.

Dreams and Pursuits

Got a bucket list? Working on building a career? Training for an Olympic Sport or athletic endeavor? None of those mean anything if you’re not taking care of yourself. You cannot become a better painter, novelist, or entrepreneur if your health is at its lowest. If you’ve always wanted to travel the world, you can’t do so if the hospital has become your second home. While some things are beyond our control (i.e., accidents, genetic diseases, etc.), we can invest in so much prevention just be committing to self-care. In order to go far, you need to be close with your physical as well as mental needs. If you need to be alone to recharge, then give yourself permission to do so! If you’re completely exhausted and burning the candle at both ends, don’t wait until things get scary where you can barely function. Do something about your well-being right away, otherwise, you’ll just be placing your dreams on a higher shelf. Pretty soon, you’ll no longer be able to reach them. So please, do not underestimate the value of your needs, too!

Quality of Life

How well do you see yourself? Do you think that you are living a good life? I know that these are tough questions to ask, but sometimes, we need a deep reminder as to why we think we’re here and how we choose to spend our time. Whether you believe in an afterlife or not, what’s certain is that all of us will eventually pass away and that we all are given a certain amount of time. What we choose to do with itis what separates a happy person from a miserable person. I’m sure you’ve heard about people who live in tiny, remote villages away from technology and modern luxuries that are completely content and happy with what they have.

And no doubt we all know about the so-called “successful” person who seems to have it all when, in reality, they’re anything but content and feel miserable. It’s all a matter of perspective when you get right down to it. And one of the things that influences this perspective is the way we choose to take care of ourselves. Going back to that comparison, you can be very rich and spend all of your money on booze, drugs, and junk food. While mentally you may be getting a temporary rush of satisfaction, physically, your body is screaming for nourishment. Your liver is taking the brunt of all of that alcohol and the foreign substances from the drugs, as well as all of the sugar and crap from the junk food. The rest of your body is hungry for nutrients as it fights off the inflammation, blood sugar spikes, and hormonal imbalances. Over time, your skin, hair, energy, sleep, and health take a hit. You’re getting sick more often. You’re buying expensive lotions and creams to get rid of any acne, wrinkles, or dryness. Your hair is falling out, prematurely greying, or thinning out. You have to take a ton of pills on top of pills just so that you can barely function. You’re a complete and utter mess that’s waiting to explode.

And so, I ask you again- is this how you want to live your life?

Start Now

So, what do you think everyone? Do you think that self-care is really that important? Or is it all a bit of an exaggeration? Let me know your thoughts down below and let’s start a conversation. Whether it’s working out on the regular or eating well, self-care is extremely important for a number of reasons. It’s not just about feeling good for the sake of, well, feeling good. It’s also about how we experience our lives and consequently affect the world and those closest to us. Again, I’d love to know what you think, and hope that this month is the perfect reminder to prioritize your well-being.

Sources:

[1] https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-wellness-month-august/