"Self Care"

What is Self Care? Who is it for? According to the Oxford Language Dictionary "Self Care" is the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health. To elaborate on this, self care is a holistic practice. In order to practice self care effectively, one would need to focus on themselves as a whole, mind, body, and spirit they are all connected. For example, the mind and body are connected and one cannot function without the other. The brain sends signals to the body in order for it to function. Blood pumps from the heart and flows intravenously throughout the body to the brain to keep it functioning. If either fails it messes with the other. Keeping our mind well is just as important as the wellness of the body. Many neglect the mind not knowing that it contributes to the over all health of an individual. In my culture (black) "therapy" was unheard of. We didn't talk about our problems we were taught to mask them no matter what gender. Some of us grew up in survival mode depending on the environment we grew up in, never taking time to process daily challenges or even trauma. In today's time more people are starting to see how important it is to deal with unresolved trauma, feelings and emotions and how it can damage other areas of life if not dealt with correctly. Self Care is a very important aspect of individual and community wellness and should be taken seriously. Self Care is for "everyone" and should be practiced daily. Self Care can be performed in various ways, examples are: daily meditation, prayer, exercise, grounding and breathing techniques, some form of relaxation, journaling, creating some medium of art, therapy, music, proper rest, well rounded diet, and more. Self Care can be anything that reduces stress, doesn't promote harm to the mind or body, and helps people to regroup and build new momentum to press forward despite life's obstacles. I believe if self care was taught to more people it would reduce not just health risk but also violence that plague our nations. Many people are hurting and suffering in silence. I am a witness that self care makes a world of a difference if practiced. I encourage you, to take a holistic approach in bettering yourself by practicing self care. We can't function at our fullest potential without first caring for ourselves.

Ambassador of Wellness