Written by Mechelle Webb, Resilience Coach
Mechelle Webb is a Globally Certified Resilience Coach holding an International Postgraduate Diploma in Coaching and Leadership Development. She combines decades of personal experience of unlocking resilience to achieve success across all areas of life with her professional training to guide clients in achieving unlimited success.
Check out these science-based self-care ideas to create a better self- care routine. Self-care is generally thought to be the activities individuals undertake to improve or restore their health (Levin & Idler, 1983). It is believed to have originated from self-reliant individualism and a belief that ill health could be prevented. Indeed, self-care can positively impact nearly every form of ill health, making it an extremely valuable practice (Levin & Idler, 1983). Luckily, there are many ways to practice self-care.
Self-care ideas to get you started
1. Get outdoors
Recent research tells us that daily contact with nature can help us reduce anxiety and depression while also helping us improve our health (Soga, Gaston, & Yamaura, 2017). Indeed, so many things about the outdoors can improve our health—the sun, the fresh air, the soil, the scent of trees. Exposing ourselves to these things regularly is one way to take better care of ourselves.
2. Listen to soothing music
Did you know that listening to relaxing music can reduce cortisol (an important stress hormone)? Well, research shows it can (Khalfa et al., 2003). More specifically, binaural beats (music with two tones played at slightly different frequencies to each ear) may help increase focus (Garcia-Argibay, Santed, & Reales, 2019).
3. Practice deep breathing
By practicing deep breathing, we activate our parasympathetic nervous system—our calming 'rest and digest' system. One simple breathing practice is box breathing. Box breathing involves breathing in for a count of four, holding for a count of four, breathing out for a count of four, and then holding for a count of four. Try this for a few rounds to see how it makes you feel.
4. Cultivate positive emotions
We can think positively, be more optimistic, savor the good moments, or even do loving- kindness meditation to generate positive emotions. Boosting positive emotions can fuel an upward spiral of positivity, helping us feel better, improve social interactions, and so on (Fredrickson, Mancuso, Branigan, & Tugade, 2000).
5. Try different self-care activities
Sometimes, people get frustrated when they try a self-care activity—maybe an activity that many have been raving about—and it doesn't help them or feel like the right fit. If that sounds like you, then trying out some other strategies can be helpful. For example, mindfulness and eating vegan might not work for everyone. Try out some different self-care activities to find what works for you.
6. Build self-awareness
Learning to pay attention to what is helpful and not helpful can take practice. For example, maybe you've been exercising daily but are starting to feel worn down. In that case, exercise might not be the type of self-care you need right now. In general, paying attention to how your thoughts and behaviors make you feel—in the short—and longer term—can help you make the most of self-care.
Read more from Mechelle Webb
Mechelle Webb, Resilience Coach
Resilience was paramount for Mechelle in overcoming her chaotic childhood and ultimately breaking the cycle of abuse in her family.
Now, she is on a mission to empower individuals worldwide to unlock their resilience to overcome challenges and achieve their version of success. Combining decades of personal experience utilizing resilience with her professional training, she is uniquely qualified to help clients unlock their resilience and achieve success.
References:
Fredrickson, B. L., Mancuso, R. A., Branigan, C., & Tugade, M. M. (2000). The undoing effect of positive emotions. Motivation and emotion, 24(4), 237-258.
Garcia-Argibay, M., Santed, M. A., & Reales, J. M. (2019). Efficacy of binaural auditory beats in cognition, anxiety, and pain perception: a meta-analysis. Psychological Research, 83(2), 357-372.
Khalfa, S., BELLA, S. D., Roy, M., Peretz, I., & Lupien, S. J. (2003). Effects of relaxing music on salivary cortisol level after psychological stress. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 999(1), 374-376.
Levin, L. S., & Idler, E. L. (1983). Self-care in health. Annual review of public health, 4(1), 181-201.
Soga, M., Gaston, K. J., & Yamaura, Y. (2017). Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis. Preventive medicine reports, 5, 92-99.
