Making Time for Yourself: The Mental Health
Benefits of Self-Care
People often
adopt an “I’ll-get-around-to-it” attitude toward self-care, not realizing that
by the time they do get around to it, they may already be suffering from the
damaging effects of stress. When you’re super busy with work, family, and
personal obligations, taking time to soak in a hot bath, go to the movies, or
take a walk in the woods seems like a waste of time you can’t afford. In truth,
what you can’t afford is to ignore your emotional needs and treat self-care as
an irresponsible indulgence. Ignoring mental
health is a risky
prospect, particularly when you’re
busy. Everyone needs downtime and a break from the unrelenting demands of a
hectic life.
Burnout Protection
Mental
burnout is an unfortunate effect of the expectations we place on ourselves and
the day-to-day responsibilities we face at work and home. Self-care is the antidote
for burnout.
Doing what you enjoy and finding ways to take your mind off things is the
brain’s way of shielding itself from being overwhelmed by external stimuli. Too
often, extreme and unrelieved mental
fatigue
is the outcome of a stubborn refusal to take self-care seriously and pushing
yourself beyond the ability to cope with stress. Working toward career and personal
success is a worthy endeavor, but it’s important to maintain a healthy
perspective on it all. Observing self-care habits is how we achieve balance and
preserve mental health.
Impact of Stress
Stress can be
a lethal threat to both body and mind if left uncontrolled. Unfortunately, many
people don’t realize it when their stress level reaches the danger zone. It’s
damaging to your mental outlook and leads to elevated blood pressure and
cardiovascular problems, as well as a compromised immune system and weight
gain. When stress takes over, you’ll find it difficult to concentrate
and function
at a high level, which can cause problems in your professional and personal
life. Relationships often suffer when one partner is unable to cope with
stress, relieving the pressure by lashing out at others. Self-care acts as a
mental safety valve, diverting your attention from problems and protecting you
from the dangers of chronic, unrelieved stress and symptoms that can easily
undermine your mental well-being and physical health.
Focus
The ability
to concentrate, to bring all your mental
faculties to bear on a task or problem, is absolutely essential to achieving
success at work. Supervisors, colleagues, and co-workers will notice very
quickly if you’ve lost focus. Mistakes become commonplace, your behavior may become
erratic, and your devotion to doing quality work will wane. Before you know it,
stress has turned you into a beleaguered shadow of your former self. An
employer may jump to mistaken conclusions, believing your distracted behavior
is symptomatic of a substance abuse problem, mental health problems, and a
lackadaisical attitude at work. Self-care helps recharge your mental batteries
and keeps you motivated to work toward personal and professional goals without
sacrificing your mental health.
Self-Care Strategies
Don’t
overlook basic self-care tactics, things many of us take for granted like
making sure you get enough sleep each night, turning down excessive requests
for help, and just setting aside time for simple relaxation. Low-impact
exercise is an excellent easy-to-do activity that helps put you in a relaxed
mood and leaves you feeling good about yourself. If you’re in addiction
recovery, it’s important to find things that divert
you from stressors
that lead to relapse behavior, such as taking up a new hobby or learning yoga
and meditation.
Think of self-care as a
personalized strategy for alleviating the effects of stress. Good mental health
is essential if you’re intent on succeeding at work and home. Self-care can
keep your stress under control and help you maintain a healthy perspective on
life.
Image courtesy
of Pixabay.com
