Physical self-care is the foundation of all self-care practices. It involves taking care of your body and includes the areas of Diet, Exercise, and Rest. Focus on physical self-care is vital because it impacts the way one functions, how healthy one is, and is the key to maintaining energy levels to be productive. Because of this significance, building habits of physical self-care activities is an easier way to do it without much mental effort.
Despite knowing the importance of Physical self-care, many find it tedious to stick on to a focused approach towards one’s diet, exercise, and sleep habits. Perceived lack of time, lack of an immediate need to focus, and the effort one has to put in to exercise, eat healthily and sleep enough to feel rested are the top factors that keep us from being focused. The benefits of physical self-care also have a direct impact on other areas of self-care such as emotional and mental self-care.
So how can one motivate oneself to get into a habit of physical self-care? Building a habit around these three areas is not as easy as it would seem. One usually feels a lot of resistance in exploring options that can become successful habits. So how can one discover physical self-care activities that can fit in with one’s needs and wants? Below are tips you could consider around the three areas of Diet, Exercise, and Sleep.
DIET
A diet is usually the kind of food one habitually eats. We like to eat what we have been conditioned to eat. Moving from eating what one has been conditioned with, it is useful to look into our dietary habits from the perspective of nutrition. “Does the current diet provides me with the nutrition to be energetic, feel good, and prevent sickness?” is a question to begin with. By shifting the focus from wanting to follow a particular diet to be mindful about how one’s body responds to food habits, one can structure their diet around one’s nutritive needs. So go ahead and make a list of foods that you like to eat. Check to see if it meets your body’s nutritive needs and your physical health goals and make that your diet plan.
EXERCISE
For those who do not have a habit of exercising, it might seem to be a daunting task to find the time and muster effort to start exercising. The aches and pains in the body after a new exercise regime is real and something strenuous to habituate. So is there a way to find joy in exercising? Shift your focus from having to exercise to discovering the various movement activities that would bring you joy. Knowing your favourite movement activity can bring in a renewed focus to exercise without it being a daunting activity to start with. Playing a game of badminton, following a 10-minute online workout routine, dancing to your favourite song, or walking to your favourite neighbourhood store, when done regularly are ways to get in movement. The more you start moving, the less daunting you will feel as you add rigour to your exercise routine.
SLEEP
Sleep is the means we rest and recharge both our body and the mind. Disturbed or insufficient sleep drains one’s mental capacities and affects one’s physical health. How can one ensure the quality of one’s sleep? By focusing on sleep as a means to rest, one can start by building healthy rest inducing routines before bedtime. Making a list of things to be grateful for, disconnecting from anxiety-inducing news and social media, and having a set pre-bedtime routine when made habits can guarantee one a restful sleep
Build your comfortable routine around the three dimensions of Physical self-care: Diet, Exercise, and Rest. By taking care of our physical bodies, we source energy to gift ourselves a life filled with purpose, significance, and fulfilment.
The author of this blog is Jennifer Moses, a Psychotherapist with a private practice. She is also a trainer, supervisor and counsellor at Prerana Academy, a Center for training and counselling in Bangalore and a Coach at HerSecondInnings, a platform to support woman professionals on a sabbatical.
Disclaimer : This blog originally appeared on HerSecondInnings.com. Her Second Innings is a platform to support women professionals on a sabbatical in their journey of getting back to work.
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