Self-care, a trending topic, but what is it actually?
MOAI’s definition of self-care
In the press and on social media, the term 'self-care' has been trending for a couple of years now. Other terms that come up a lot are 'me-time' and 'taking time for yourself'. Because more and more people talk and write about self-care, in our view many misconceptions and misperceptions arise. There’s no way to say exactly what counts as self-care, because everyone’s definition is their own and unique. In this blogpost we explain what we, at MOAI, consider self-care and explain a bit more about the science behind it.
Self-care is often confused with a reward for yourself. A massage once a month or an evening on the couch with a glass of wine and a cheese platter. In our opinion, this is where making time for yourself or ‘me-time’ is confused with self-care. A reward makes you feel good temporarily, but does not necessarily have benefits for your health, your mindset or the connection with yourself. We define self-care as:
“The practice of taking care of yourself by performing activities on a regular basis that help improve your mental, emotional, and physical well-being.”
We also like the definition by Kelsey Patel, a Los Angeles–based wellness expert: “Self-care means really listening to your body, taking moments to check in, intentionally tuning in to the thoughts going on in your mind, and challenging your behaviors and belief systems if things feel out of alignment in your life.”
Conversations about self-care often involve sentiments like “self-indulgence or “pampering”. However, we do not consider taking care of ourselves as a treat or an indulgence, but as an essential part of our overall health. The science is clear: self-care is not just a moment for yourself or just nice. It forms an essential part of a lifestyle that keeps us healthy, happy and more in tune with our minds and bodies. Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, you can be well, you can do your job, you can help and care for others, and you can do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day.
We like to emphasize that self-care is for everyone. It is not something vague or for people with a burn out or other mental or physical health issues. Some people use it to deal with difficult times in their lives, but ideally we all use it to maintain our happiness and health day to day, like brushing our teeth, doing sports and eating healthy.
The science behind self-care
From experience we know that understanding a bit more about the research behind self-care practices can help in staying consistent, intentional and knowing that your time is well spent.
“When self-care is regularly practiced, the benefits are broad and have been linked to positive health outcomes,” says Brighid Courtney of Boston, a client leader at the wellness technology company Wellable and a faculty member at the Wellness Council of America.
Research shows that with self-care you enjoy the following benefits, and more:
Being more resilient and balanced.
Increasing your energy level, creativity and focus
Better and more conscious contact with your loved ones and yourself.
Coping better with stress and reduce stress.
Having more control over your emotions and automatic thinking patterns
Achieving a sense of equilibrium and balance through goal setting.
Below, we highlight the benefits of self-care practices that we offer at MOAI, like meditation, movement, conscious breathing and journaling. They have been well-researched and are linked to a longer, healthier, more balanced life.
Meditation
These days most people know that meditation has some powerful benefits. One study showed that “Making meditation an integral part of our lifestyle may hold the key to delay aging or promote graceful aging, prevent onset of multifactorial complex lifestyle diseases, promote mental, physical, and reproductive health, and prolong youthful healthy life.” Especially relevant as we all know the value of a strong immune system today, a study looking at the impact of meditation on the immune system found that “Meditation helps regulate the stress response, thereby suppressing chronic inflammation states and maintaining a healthy gut-barrier function.
Meditation has also been shown to help: improve memory and concentration [1], reduce stress [2], help with chronic pain [3], reduce symptoms of depression [4], improve sleep quality [5], increase sex drive and libido [6] and help you manage weight [7]
Deep breathing
Deep breathing is a mindful practice that provides numerous health benefits beyond the standard respiration required to live. Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, bringing us into a relaxed state. When you become stressed or anxious, your brain releases ‘stress hormone’ cortisol. By taking deep breaths, your heart rate slows, more oxygen enters our blood stream and communicates with the brain to relax. Deep breathing also ups your ‘feel good’ chemical endorphins.
Science also shows that deep breathing improves your state of mind, strengthens your immune system, detoxifies the body, improves digestion, increases your energy levels, lowers your blood pressure, improves your posture, relieves pain and keeps us looking youthful.
Journaling
Journaling is proven to reduce stress, improve immune function, keep memory sharp, boost mood and strengthen emotional functions. One study showed that “expressive writing (like journaling) for only 15 to 20 minutes a day, three to five times over the course of a four-month period was enough to lower blood pressure and improve liver functionality. Another study found that the kind of “expressive writing” often connected with journaling is especially therapeutic. Participants who wrote about traumatic, stressful or emotional events were significantly less likely to get sick, and were ultimately less seriously affected by trauma, than their non-journaling counterparts. If you would like some tips on how to start journaling, read our blogpost.
Be physically active
Fifty minutes of physical activity helps release endorphins as well as build strength and cardiovascular endurance. In addition, physical activity has proven to help you sleep better and feel better. All activity counts. It can be a dedicated hour at the gym, workout class, but also biking to work, taking a walk at lunchtime or dancing in your living room. People who exercised between two and eight hours per week throughout their lives reduced their risk of dying by 29 to 36 percent, according to a March 2019 study published in JAMA Network Open.
Gratitude
Gratitude may look like a list of statements beginning with “I’m grateful for…” or “thank you for…,” but research shows it does much more than just putting you in a more appreciative mood. Practicing gratitude opens the door to better relationships, improves physical and psychological health, enhances empathy, reduces aggression, promotes better sleep and self-esteem, and increases mental strength. Robert Emmons, a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.
Affirmations & Manifestation
Intentional thinking through processes like affirmations and manifestations may seem vague, but these powerful and creative thought exercises can have a significant impact on our behavior.
You probably know the phenomenon that if someone says often enough that he cannot do something, then he cannot. Your thoughts block your actions. That is a shame, because the opposite is also possible. If you see or say your affirmations often, they are a very powerful force. Your subconscious will accept your thoughts. At some point you start to believe something that you hear more often. And you will automatically start trading accordingly. Your brain adapts. Everything you give your attention grows. Psychologists call this neuroplasticity. A well-known phenomenon, which has actually been observed when making brain scans.
Visualization
Activities like manifestation and visualizations have proven to be powerful. You may have heard stories of professional athletes rehearsing their gold-medal-winning routines in their minds. Over and over as a key tool to their success. One study shows that there is a strong scientific basis for how and why visualization works. It is now a well-known fact that we stimulate the same exact brain regions when we simply visualize an action and when we actually perform that same action. This stimulation or repetitive thoughts is actually reforming the way our brains are wired.
Spending time outside
Leaving the comfort of your home is a great way to improve mental and physical health. Being outside can help you feel less stressed and happier. It can also be a great form of exercise, which helps release all those beneficial chemicals from your brain. Similar to meditation, spending time out of doors benefits the brain. Other research suggest that even just looking at pictures of nature sparks positive activity in the brain.
Last but not least: community
Human beings are social creatures that need connection to be complete. “Community is what keeps us happy and healthy. Period. Relationships are the single biggest predictor of life success. In addition to well-being and professional achievement, relationships might just keep us alive,” says George Vaillant, Director of Harvard’s Grant Study. Emma Seppala of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research, and author of the 2016 book “The Happiness Track,” wrote, “people who feel more connected to others have lower levels of anxiety and depression.”
‘Moai’ is a concept from ”blue zone” Okinawa in Japan, a region of the world where people live much longer, happier and healthier than average. Moai is the name for a lifelong group of friends that share their joys and troubles, a source of support essential to their health and wellbeing. Studies reveal that close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives. Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes.
SELF CARE AS A DAILY HABIT
By now you may realize the importance of planning recurring self-care moments in your daily life. The idea is that you make time for yourself every day. Something that fits into your daily routine so that you can feel relaxed, away from the busy schedule and obligations. However, that is easier said than done. It is an ongoing challenge to make time for self-care in our lives, because there are often not enough hours to accomplish everything we need to — or would like to — do. How can we make self-care a habit? Check out out blogposts with the science behind and tips to form healthy habits.
