Real and Sustainable Self-Care
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”
Jean Shinoda Bolen
The self-care revolution is beginning to gain even more momentum after the Covid epidemic. It is estimated that the 2022 global self-care & wellness market is around 1.5 trillion dollars and growing. (1) Consumers are starting to view wellness through a much broader and more sophisticated lens, encompassing not just fitness and nutrition but also overall physical and mental health and appearance.(2) We are slowly understanding that ignoring self-care and well-being doesn’t work, that to be energized, fulfilled, happy and healthy, we must focus on making our priority self-care, prevention and wellness. The vision of the International Center for Self-Care Research is a world where self-care is prioritized by individuals, families, and communities and is the first line of approach in every health care encounter.(3)
From my well-being research, the ability to know, love, trust and be yourself is the central principle of thriving: living a healthy, fulfilled, successful, and happy life. The more we grow in our own feelings of self-love, which means to think and feel good about ourselves, and do positive things that bring us to higher and healthier visions of ourselves, the more we practice self-care. When we love ourselves, we want to take care of ourselves.
Self care is about the capacity to meet physical, physiological, psychological, and self fulfillment needs. (4) Self-care has the largest influence on how physically and mentally healthy we are. This is not woo-woo anymore. It is scientific. And the more we practice self-care, the more we can support others to do the same.
How can we practice self-care?
To truly love ourselves, we learn to spend time exploring who we are, why we are alive, and what we love, and then learn to have the courage to try it out no matter what. We learn to be ok with challenges and making mistakes as we realize that “mistakes” are important “learnings”. This is the key to decreasing stress and anxiety. The more we love ourselves and build our self-worth and confidence, the more we won’t worry about what other people think even if we are “learning” through mistakes. We are more peaceful, centered and focused on what is important to us and our community. Our toxic stress levels decrease or are non-existent. We move away from blaming ourselves and feeling “not good enough” which are some of the beliefs that underscore stress. Toxic stress (a recurring stressful feeling usually in the center of your chest or gut, like you are being chased by a bear all the time) is linked to chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease, and a weakened immune system, to name a few.
So why not create systems that focus on real and sustainable self-care and eliminate toxic stress? We must, if we want to eliminate the Threatening 3 Epidemics of chronic disease, suicide and violence which kill a majority of our human population each year, including children and young people. We must continue moving away from a sick-care system into a well-care system. Yes, thank you for our amazing, talented physicians and nurses who save lives when we are sick and could die. However, to prioritize wellness and prevention is the key. This is something we have to learn how to do. We have never done this as a society. We must continue to shift our systems into systems of self-care.
Shift the Education System into a Self-care and Wellness System
Self-care is not selfish or an indulgence, it is a state of being where one respects and loves themselves so they are healthy to give their gifts to their communities and support others in doing the same. An integrated self-care system into the current education system would set the groundwork for our children to not do anything to hurt themselves or others. It would allow them to build the preventative habits that would make them physically and mentally healthy. It would give them the stamina, energy and confidence to bring their talents to the world. If we spent more time and money on self/wellcare, we would lessen healthcare costs and early mortality rates caused by the Threatening 3 by billions.
Shifting the education system from a priority on external goals around grades, and achievements, to a priority of connection to ourselves and an internal definition of success, the more we will have peaceful and kind collaborations with others where creativity can soar. More would get done in less time and with more ease. Toxic stress would be minimal.
The Empowerment Education® System of W.E.L.L.-Being is a self-care, well-being system at its heart. It gives us the framework to begin to experiment and build your own versions of how to integrate 11 dimensions of self-care/well-being into the schools and classrooms. There is not one way to do it. We must begin by believing that it is central to not only our children and young people thriving, but to our communities and world thriving.
As you take an Adventure through our program, you will experience self-care based on the most sound, innovative research. If you choose to, you will positively transform your own well-being. Once you have this journey, you will naturally integrate this self-care system into your classroom and school. There is no going back.
²https://www.psycom.net/self-care-101
³https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748919302093 and www.selfcareresearch.org
