09 Aug 6 Science-Based Self-Care Tips
If you want to enjoy happiness and wellbeing, which I’m pretty sure you do if you’re reading this, then effective self-care is vital.
But there are many self-care strategies promoted by many that quite simply, have no evidence to support their efficacy.
Some might even be detrimental!
So, if you want to practice self-care in a valid and healthy way, check out these tips via Psychology Today and Tchiki Davis …
KEY POINTS
- People practice self-care in order to restore their energy and health.
- Not every self-care activity is going to work for every person, so it’s important to listen to your mind and body.
- Getting outside, breathing practices, and focusing on positive emotions are just a few ways to engage in self-care.
What is self-care? Self-care is generally thought to be the activities that individuals undertake to improve or restore their own health (Levin & Idler, 1983).
Self-care is thought to have originated from self-reliant individualism and also from a belief that ill-health could be prevented. Indeed, self-care can have a positive impact on nearly every form of ill-health, making it an extremely valuable practice (Levin & Idler, 1983). Luckily, there are lots of ways we can practice self-care.
Now, here are some ideas:
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 in each ear) may be helpful for increasing focus (Garcia-Argibay, Santed, & Reales, 2019)…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE