If International Self Care Day is unfamiliar to you, you’re not alone. Initially launched in 2011 by the World Self-Medication Industry, the goal is to highlight the importance of responsible self-care in order to improve overall health, reduce health care costs and, in the long run, alleviate the strain on the health care system. As a reminder that we need to take care of ourselves 24/7, the 24th of July was chosen as the perfect day to promote the value of self-care and, hopefully, make it the start of a lifelong habit.
Officially designated by the US Senate two years ago, International Self Care Day serves as a yearly reminder to stop our furious daily pace and take stock of what we ourselves need in order to continue being healthy and happy while still taking care of the ones we love. For those of us who rarely put our needs ahead of those of our family, this is the ideal excuse to focus on ourselves.
Batteries get recharged when we spend time doing things that replenish us physically, emotionally and mentally. Schedule in activities that put your needs first, and although it may be impossible to feel 100% refreshed, the realization that you can and should (and deserve!) a whole day to yourself may be enough to keep the self-care momentum going.
Here’s what I’ve pencilled in for my own version of self-care day:
A breakfast date with an old girlfriend. More than a chance to eat a healthy meal that I didn’t have to prepare myself, I’m looking forward to a proper chat and catching up on what’s been going on this summer with her and her family. Our relationship goes back to when the topics of conversation centred around diapers, napping and the next solid food to introduce to our babies. Although we keep in touch via regular emails, nothing replaces a face-to-face.
A facial at my favorite spa. Personally, there’s nothing more self-indulgent than booking a treatment at the spa. It’s an hour of forced inactivity with soothing music, ambient lighting and the expert ministrations of a trained esthetician. Result? I leave with glowing skin and feeling relaxed in body and spirit.
An unhurried wander around the bookstore. A 2015 study by the Reading Agency in the UK revealed that reading for pleasure reduced symptoms of depression, lowered levels of stress and increased overall sense of wellbeing. When the pace of the modern world seems geared toward reading short online articles and magazines, it’s a real treat to pick up a new book and make it an early night. Count me in.
I’m already looking forward to next year’s celebration
