By: Dr. Erica Abraham, D.C.
Self-care has been a buzz word over the last several years. When you hear the term, you typically think of getting your hair done, your nails done, or getting a massage. And while it can be those things (and we're absolutely biased towards that last one here at Axon Health), it doesn't have to be those things.
We see patients overcomplicate "self-care" all the time. So it begs the question: what is actually self care?
Here's my opinion of what self-care is: self-care consists of the consistent behaviors we perform to make our lives more manageable.
Could it be a massage? Sure! I use massage as part of my own self-care because my job as a chiropractor is physically demanding. Getting a regular massage helps me perform with less issues. But a massage might not be considered self-care for the next person. For example, someone with significant sexual trauma may find a massage to be highly emotional rather than relaxing or therapeutic.
To make self-care simple, let's talk about some of the 5 basics of self-care.
Get your mind in order. Usually, when we're seeking self-care, it's because we're stressed about something. Is your stress being caused by a lack of facials or massages? Probably not. It's usually surrounding a a specific issue, like your job or a family member. So, treat the cause of the stress, not the symptom.
When I discuss this with patients, I usually recommend seeking a professional who practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT addresses our underlying beliefs and perspectives about a subject. Have you ever noticed that in some work environments, there are people with the exact same job who are absolutely miserable, while there are others who love their job? Maybe it's the person's perspective on their job that's stressing them out, not the job itself.
If you can't afford therapy, it's okay. There's a book I recommend to help you start in the right direction called "How To Stubbornly Refuse To Make Yourself Miserable" By Albert Ellis.
Nourish your body. It's always interesting when I have patients asking to be scheduled for their next massage, yet they regularly talk about getting Chick-fil-A for dinner.
Now, this is not a post to trash-talk fast food. Sometimes things come up and your form of self-care might be to save your time with something fast-food. However, by and large, you should be feeding your body nutrient-dense foods. Why? Chronic stress can cause damage to your body in several different ways. How can you recover properly if you aren't giving your body the building blocks it needs to heal? (You can't)
You'll also need to nourish your body properly for the next one...
Move your body. Humans were built for movement. We were not designed to sit in our cars for 20 minutes on our way to work, to sit at a desk for 8 hours, to sit in the car again for another 20 minutes, to then sit on the couch for another 4-6 hours. You don't have to overcomplicate it. Just go for a 20-30 minute walk before or after work every day. Exercise has been shown to decrease stress across the board.
Put your phone away. Seriously. We spend way too much time looking at those black rectangles. They can be a useful tool if you use them intentionally, buy too many of us use them as sources of entertainment. We scroll Instagram endlessly, all day long. The outcome? Poor mental health by comparing ourselves to everyone else's highlight reel. It also impacts the quality of our in-person relationships - and healthy social relationships are one of the leading indicators of your quality of life. Instead, try to nourish your social relationships by meeting your friends in-person. The virtual relationship does not have the same effect that the in-person relationship does. Additionally, if you have a smartphone that gives you a report of screen time every week, try to decrease that report over time. You'll be glad you did.
Go to bed. Develop a regular sleep routine. Your body heals the most when you're sleeping. Poor sleep or irregular sleep disrupts your body's overall ability to heal. Help yourself out by going to bed at the same time every single night and waking up around the same time every day.
"But what about facials, massages, and getting my hair and nails done?" Like I said, these can be a part of your self-care routine if they help make your life more manageable! But don't think that you can just do those things and forget about the basics of self-care. Otherwise, you'll find yourself caught on a hamster wheel wondering why nothing feels like it's getting better. It's like trying to run a marathon when you've never run to the mailbox. Focus on the basics, then add to it.
Not sure where you should start or need some guidance on how you can improve your self-care game? Ask your Axon Health provider at your next visit!
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