Does Practicing Self-Care Actually Have Benefits?

“Take time for self-care!”

“Create a self-care routine.”

“Don’t forget to prioritize self-care.”

You hear these things everywhere, and you’ve even heard these things from me.

Rumbly PREACHES self-care, but I realized the other day that a lot of people who preach the importance of self-care don’t actually dive into WHY it is so important.

What does self-care even mean? And what does it actually do for you? Does self-care actually have psychological benefits? Physical benefits too?

Or is labeling taking a bubble bath and drinking your favorite soda as self-care just an excuse?

Let’s get some answers!

What is “Self-Care”?

Self-care is a very broad term, but basically it encompasses a wide range of practices and activities that individuals can engage in to nurture their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

These practices and activities involve deliberately taking time to prioritize your own needs and promote relaxation, rejuvenation, and overall health. Self-care does not mean “pampering,” it means cultivating habits and behaviors that support long-term wellness and resilience.

Psychological Benefits of Self-Care

An article posted by Psychology Today linked quality self-care to improved mental health in areas such as self-esteem, self-worth, optimism, anxiety, and depression.

Think about your dream day. It probably starts with a good breakfast, maybe working out, doing your favorite activity, spending time with loved ones...

A lot of these activities are related to self-care! You want to eat a good breakfast to nourish your body, you want to go to the gym, why? Because it makes you feel good! As humans, we have the natural desire to take care of ourselves and do things that make us feel good. Self-care really is just making sure that you are doing these things regularly and that you have a good quality of life.

If you are not investing time and energy into these practices and activities that are good for you, that’s when your stress levels increase, and when ignored, can lead to health issues.

Here is a list of psychological benefits of self-care practices:

1. Stress Reduction: I’m sure we have all been told atl east once in our lives to “reduce your stress,” “manage your stress,” or my personal favorite, “de-stress.”

   What does that even mean though? Well, reducing your stress levels can be done through engaging in self-care activities to relax, unwind, and recharge. Activities such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, and spending time in nature can activate the body's relaxation response, promoting feelings of calm and tranquility.

2. Improved Mood: Naturally, doing anything you love brings you joy and contentment. The trick is ensuring that you are doing these activities frequently in order to foster a consistent state of emotional well-being.

3. Enhanced Self-Esteem: When you take good care of yourself, you might not realize it, but you are building trust within yourself. Prioritizing your needs sends a powerful message of self-worth and self-respect to your body.

4. Greater Self-Awareness: Getting to know yourself is a life-long journey.There is so much to know! By practicing self-care, you are getting to know yourself more and more with each effort. This leads to greater self-awareness such as understanding your priorities, your boundaries, your values, beliefs, and simply just who you are as a person.

5. Prevention of Burnout: If your day is filled with activities that you do not enjoy, burnout and exhaustion will be inevitable. By setting boundaries, managing workload, and making conscious efforts for self-care, you can avoid burnout.
   
   

Physical Benefits of Self-Care

I honestly think that a big reason why a lot of people don’t understand the true importance of self-care is because the benefits are not something that you can necessarily see, but things that you can feel.

There are physical benefits to self-care that occur within your body overtime such as:

1. Improved Immune Function: Getting adequate sleep,eating a nutritious diet, and managing stress can bolster the immune system. A strong immune system helps the body defend against illness and infection, reducing the risk of common ailments such as colds, flu, and other illnesses.

2. Enhanced Energy Levels: Prioritizing self-care promotes physical vitality and energy by ensuring that the body's needs are met. Adequate sleep, regular exercise, and healthy eating habits provide the body with the fuel it needs to function optimally, leading to increased energy levels and improved overall vitality.

3. Reduced Risk of Chronic Disease: Self-care behaviors such as regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a balanced diet can lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. By adopting healthy lifestyle habits, individuals can protect their long-term health and reduce the likelihood of developing chronic health conditions.

4. Improved Digestive Health: Eating a nutritious diet,staying hydrated, and managing stress are essential components of self-care that support digestive health. These behaviors promote regularity, reduce the risk of gastrointestinal issues such as constipation and bloating, and support the body's ability to absorb nutrients from food.

5. Enhanced Cardiovascular Health: Self-care practices such as regular exercise, stress management, and healthy eating can improve cardiovascular health by reducing risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and inflammation. These behaviors support heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Self-care really is just taking care of yourself in the best ways for you. Eating healthy, sleeping well, managing stress, all of these things that we should be prioritizing everyday fit into the category of “self-care.”

Self-Care During Pregnancy

Self-care should consist of daily practices throughout the entirety of your life. However, there are times in your life when some extra self-care may be needed. Pregnancy being one of them.

When you are pregnant, of course your body is going through major changes. Growing a baby in your womb isn’t exactly light work! It is so important to shift your self-care practices during this time to best suit your body's new and evolving needs as your baby grows.

Unfortunately, I learnt this the hard way during my first pregnancy when I thought that I could just keep on keeping on, business as usual throughout my pregnancy and I didn’t truly pay attention to what my body needed throughout each trimester.

Luckily, throughout my next three pregnancies I slowly began to learn what my body needed during each trimester and how I could best support myself and my baby.

This is why I created Rumbly. My Rumbly subscription boxes are designed to be self-care delivered to your doorstep! The kicker is that these boxes are specifically designed to support pregnant women throughout their entire pregnancy journey, from a positive pregnancy test all the way to postpartum.

Let’s be honest, self-care in all its glory is incredible, but we can’t be perfect everyday! With Rumbly, at least you can ensure that your self-care is covered for every month of pregnancy.

Claim your self-care packages here.