“Be there for others, but never leave yourself behind” – Dodinsky. 

Life throws you into a million things where you forget to take care of yourself. You get carried away so much until one day you suddenly realize that you have stopped taking care of yourself altogether. This might lead to stress and anxiety as you are overly indulged in taking care of others while forgetting about yourself. The healthiest thing you can always consider doing is self-care. 

Self-care is an inevitable thing to continue showering your love and care for the people surrounding you. We were raised to always consider other’s needs over ours and the other way round is considered arrogant and self-centred. But, why is self-care not given its high regard as it is not but taking care of our own well-being? Here is our analysis of why self-care matters:

What is self-care? 

To clear things up, one must learn the true meaning of self-care first before analyzing what self-care has in store for us. Self-care is doing things that you need and like to ensure mental and physical health and happiness in life because whatever you do makes you a better person, parent, sibling, friend, and spouse. 

• Improved productivity: Self-care is nothing but ensuring the well-being of a human being. If you are taking care of yourself, you are only ensuring improved productivity and enhanced focus. Prioritizing helps you redirect your energy towards things that matter to your life the most. Life is short and I don’t think it should be wasted on unnecessary things. Self-care ensures that you don’t waste your energy on unnecessary things. 
• Reduce mental and physical stress: We are so indulged in our work life that we stopped taking care of ourselves. The lack of which is leading to an increase in stress and other related issues in human beings. Studies also suggest self-care as an alternative to clinical treatment for minor stress and anxiety-related issues. Make meditation, exercise, and a healthy diet a part of your lifestyle. How else do you start a self-care routine if not by adopting a healthy lifestyle? 
• Higher self-esteem: Stress and anxiety are the pillars of self-doubt and lack of self-esteem. Investing time in yourself is nothing but carving out a time to detoxify your brain and soul, which has a spillover effect on building your self-esteem. 
• Positive energy: Wouldn’t life be a lot less stressful with a healthier and productive life. With increased productivity and enhanced health, you radiate positive energy and inspire people. The more your needs are met the more positive and purposeful you feel. This will allow you to reset your attitude if you are overpowered by negative thoughts. 

There are a lot of misconceptions that self-care is overindulgence in self or a self-centred behaviour which is not true. Self-care is rather ensuring a healthy mind and a soul for a less stressful, more productive, and healthier life. So, the next time someone advises you otherwise, educate them by reading out this article to them.