Week 6

                                                                  Why Self Care Isn’t Selfish

         Self love is self care. It is important for the well being of an individual to love themselves as it allows them to take care of themselves mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Often people lack self care for themselves seeing that they find it selfish which leads to the diminishment of self love. Due to the global pandemic that occurred in 2019, a lot of people had connected with the practice of self care. The act of self care was deeply encouraged during the time of quarantine since it has had an impact on many people. Speaking from experience, the pandemic has caused many people to feel isolated, empty, and overall, a low self-esteem. The entire purpose of self care is to fuel yourself again and feel full of life. In consonance with the article ‘Why Self-care isn’t Selfish,’ it states “So there are aspects of self-care related to sleep — everyone should take a bath, light candles. There’s this idea that we need to calm down. But what can you experience today that is going to fill you with the positive emotions you need to do the most important things in your life? It’s about refueling yourself in order to engage with life” This was claimed by Dr. McGonigal who explained the importance of practicing self care for yourself. He explains in an aspect that self care isn’t about relaxing and taking it easy on yourself, but it is to feel more alive and to stay motivated with your daily life. Dr. Groppel also stated “Self care is a lot of things…It can be exercise, creating boundaries. It’s keeping yourself safe emotionally. Maybe it’s not arguing with that uncle about politics right now. It can be spiritual. But you are in control of it.” This means taking care of your health, your mental/emotional status, and providing security for yourself overall. There are many things you can do to keep yourself healthy and in a good place mentally.