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Self-Care can be seen as Taboo

Sep 18, 2020

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Something that I often see is people carrying stereotypes about Self-Care.

First, they believe it is feminine. Second, that it is anything that “soothes,” you. Finally, people do it only because there is something wrong with them.
These are false on all three fronts. Let’s break down each myth a little further.

#1 – The femininity of self-care
Everyone needs self-care, regardless of age, gender, or lifestyle. All humans can benefit from self-care, and the femininity myth comes from the archaic notion that men should, “just toughen up.” However, more and more men are realizing the benefits that can accrue from self-care.
The reality? More men than ever are practicing self-care. Take yoga for example. The amount of men practicing jumped from four million to six million from 2012 to 2016.1 Or, take another common self-care practice; meditation. Some data shows that as much as twice the amount of men practice meditation in comparison to women.2

#2 – Self-care is anything that “soothes” you
Self-care is so much more than just something that makes you feel good. Self-care is pro-active actions that work to connect your mind and body. Although one of the benefits of self-care is it’s calming abilities, that isn’t what it is defined by.
There are plenty of self-care activities that don’t necessarily, “soothe” you, but work to calm and clear your mental state. Power yoga is a great way to break a sweat and connect you mind and body. Writing reflective notes about your work week can be difficult, but can clear your mind for the weekend. Not all self-care is necessarily, “soothing.” The common factor among all is their ability to promote and protect our wellbeing.

#3 – People use self-care because there is something wrong with them
As mentioned before, self-care should be practiced by all. As humans, we live busy lives, full of stress and anxiety. Self-care is a proactive way to ensure we keep our mind and body in a healthy state.
Think of self-care like eating healthy. Eating healthy is a proactive way to stay away from the health issues that can come with a poor diet. Self-care is the same, but for our mind and body. We don’t just start eating healthy when we get a disease, it is something we practice day in and day out.

Looking to see how you can implement a self-care culture in your workplace? Visit me online at www.nurturingourwellbeing.com or on LinkedIn here.

And don’t forget Self-Care truly is the Best-Care and your Time is N.O.W.

1 www.thegoodbody.com/yoga-statistics
2 www.doyou.com/do-men-like-meditation-more-than-yoga-58172/