Personal Growth Thrives Through Self- Care
Photo Credit: UnsplashGuest Feature by Brad Krause Selfcaring.infoAn honest quest for personal growth has to include happiness as a guidepost. Careeradvancement, education, and improving relationships are laudable goals, but only if they lead tocontentment and a sense of purpose. One of the numerous benefits of self-care is how it helpsyou understand yourself and your needs while comforting your mind and body for transitions.Types of Self-CareSelf-care can come from several sources. Some may think of self-care as mere pampering, butthe effect goes far beyond feelings of luxury, and those who master self-care know that it is notselfish to incorporate these steps in life. Self-care, in general, encompasses any action that onetakes to comfort and support their lives. Feeling good is important for those looking to take stepsforward in their lives. Although there is a long list of types of self-care, it is crucial to rememberthat it isn’t helpful if all you end up doing is adding to an already overburdened “to-do” list in yourlife. Some self-care techniques that support personal growth include:● Massage. Tired muscles benefit from the deep tissue relaxation of massages. Massagesenhance performance in workouts and can help avoid injuries and give your body anoverall feeling of wellness that helps propel you to growth.● Exercise. Fitness may be the single most important self-care element that you caninclude in your life. Exercise helps add structure to your days, builds self-confidence,makes people happier, and increases longevity. Those who work out have a morebalanced life and tend to make better decisions. Although exercise is the main self-caretool, it also can increase the need for other self-care techniques to ensure that you areinjury free and that your workouts are sustainable.● Balanced diet. A healthy diet helps with weight management and improves mood. It alsosupports an exercise routine by providing necessary vitamins and nutrients.● Sleep. Most everyone is aware of the importance of getting about eight hours of sleepeach night. Sleep is restorative and helps support many areas of life, from mentalwellness to physical health.● Rest. Related, but different from sleep, is rest. Rest is particularly important for thosewho incorporate exercise into their weekly routines, as muscles require rest days inorder for exercise to be effective. Even if you do not need rest for exercise purposes,knowing when to take some time away from your busy day or take a nap is crucial tobalanced mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Another aspect of rest is knowingwhen to not rush oneself.● Attention to hobbies. Since happiness is key to personal growth, so too is reserving timein your day for activities that you enjoy. Hobbies are outlets of attention and joy. Thosewho play guitar, draw, read books, knit, or garden -- anything that brings youcontentment -- are happy and balanced in their lives.● Decluttering. Organization is an underutilized self-care tool. So much of our stress in lifecomes from feeling a lack of control. Cluttered and disorganized home and work livesstand directly in the way of positive personal growth.Meditation as a Self-Care ToolAnother key method for self-care in a way that supports personal growth is the mindfulness thatresults from meditation. Even in short intervals, meditation helps bring calmness and clarity topeople’s lives. This sense of calmness also triggers self-knowledge, which is essential for thekind of decision making required for personal growth.Meditation can be effectively done at home, too. For maximum mindfulness, try to find a spotthat is out of the way from the distractions in your life.A quiet room can be minimally adorned with a yoga mat or simple chair. Add a plant and some source of light, but make sure decorations and distractions are minimized.By spending 10 minutes a day simply thinking about yourself, your goals, and your life, you willfind it easier to make decisions that impact your personal growth. Incorporating self-caretechniques will help this process along as well. Check out more articles here:
