Self-care & looking after your own well-being

Self-care is the way in which we look after our bodies – including physically, emotionally & mentally. It’s not something that we are necessarily always aware of, but there are several key things that we can do to look after ourselves more effectively.

These often start with basic essentials, such as: eating, drinking, cleaning and sleeping. However, there are lots of other key things that we can do to maintain a higher level of self-care.

But why does self-care matter and why is it important? We’ve put together our five favourite reasons for maintaining good self-care:

1. Self-care is good for our health. Activities such as exercise have a positive impact on both our physical and mental health, resulting in lower stress levels & improved mood^1,2,3.
2. Helps us to maintain healthy relationships with friends and family – super important if you are providing support for someone else!
3. Keeps you motivated and focused
4. Helps boost confidence and self-esteem
5. Everyone can do it, no matter where you are!

References/Extra Reading:

1. Warburton, D. E., Nicol, C. W., & Bredin, S. S. (2006). Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. Cmaj, 174(6), 801-809.
2. DiLorenzo, T. M., Bargman, E. P., Stucky-Ropp, R., Brassington, G. S., Frensch, P. A., & LaFontaine, T. (1999). Long-term effects of aerobic exercise on psychological outcomes. Preventive medicine, 28(1), 75-85.
3. Fernandes, J., Arida, R. M., & Gomez-Pinilla, F. (2017). Physical exercise as an epigenetic modulator of brain plasticity and cognition. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 80, 443-456.