By Kristian Fearon ‘25
Daily, there are so many responsibilities we encounter. These include things like sports, a job, or school. But the question is, “When’s the last time you took time out of your day for yourself?” There are so many ways to decompress, like working out, going to the spa, getting a facial, etc. Self care is more than just a trend: it’s something that is essential for an everyday healthy lifestyle. With the hassle and chaos of life, people need something to balance life so self care shouldn’t be put to the side.
Self care is beneficial for your mental health. With a decline in mental health daily, self care helps keep you more focused and coordinated and plays a big role in mental well being. Activities like reading, exercising, and limiting screen time are all ways you can take additional care of yourself and better your mental health with self care. In an article by Marquette Today, it states that self care, “affects how we think, feel and act, and influences our ability to handle stress, make decisions and maintain relationships. Neglecting our mental health can lead to a range of issues such as anxiety, depression and burnout.’’ A good mind is crucial to having a healthy lifestyle and this is one of the reasons why we should prioritize our self care.
Self care prevents burnout. With all the tasks that have to be done, it’s very easy for someone to get drained and burnt out. But having regular self care creates a balance that helps avoid exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed. According to the article, “Here’s how bad selfcare has become at work” by shrm.org, “SHRM’s Employee Mental Health in 2024 Research Series, released for Mental Health Awareness Month in May, found that 44 percent of 1,405 surveyed U.S. employees feel burned out at work, 45 percent feel ’emotionally drained’ from their work, and 51 percent feel ‘used up’ at the end of the workday.” With just having a regular self care routine, this percentage would be greatly lowered.
Lastly, self care promotes productivity. When you prioritize your self care, you recharge your energy and focus and this helps you accomplish your tasks more efficiently. Taking breaks, doing hobbies you like, they help you think clearer, make smarter choices and have been proven to help us become more productive. For instance, it is said that, “People that look after themselves [and practice self-care] do have better cognitive ability. They do have better focus and they do have better concentration,” according to Dr. Russell Thackeray, a licensed clinical psychologist who consults on the topic of productivity, “They tend to actually produce more,” states .Atlassian.com, in the article, “Why self-care is the secret to becoming a productivity powerhouse.” This shows that self care needs to be done more to make us better, even intellectually.
There are so many benefits to having good self care habits and when we have good self care, we make our lives better in the long run. People need to stop seeing self care as something extra, or a luxury. It is the key to a long, healthy life.
The Raider Press 