Self-Care and Stress Reduction
Why self-care can help you manage stress.
- Total Diabetes Wellness
- Updated on February 21, 2024
- Science Based
Self-care is any activity we do intentionally to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. It can be as simple as taking a few minutes for yourself each day to relax and rejuvenate. Or, it can be a more elaborate routine involving diet, exercise, and stress-relieving activities. The important thing is that it’s something you do regularly and with the intention of looking after your overall well-being.
One of the main benefits of practicing self-care is that it helps reduce stress. When we don’t make time for our happiness and health, we are more likely to feel overwhelmed, burned out, and fatigued. By taking care of ourselves, we can avoid these feelings and instead enjoy a sense of calm and clarity in our everyday lives.
Other advantages of self-care include improved physical health, greater emotional resilience, better mental focus, increased productivity at work or school, stronger relationships with others, greater feelings of happiness and contentment, heightened creativity and motivation, enhanced spiritual wellbeing, higher energy levels throughout the day, more confidence in your abilities to succeed at whatever you put your mind towards.
The Importance of Self-Care
It’s also important to note that self-care is not synonymous with selfishness or self-indulgence. This mentality may lead to feeling guilty for taking a break to do something that makes you feel good. Instead, self-care should be viewed as necessary for overall happiness and health.
Here are just some of the many benefits of self-care:
Reduces Stress Levels
When you take care of yourself, it helps reduce the overall stress in your life. This can lead to improved mental and physical health and increased productivity.
Improves Mood
When you feel good about yourself, it shows in your demeanor and attitude. Self-care can help improve your mood, making it easier to cope with day-to-day challenges.
Boosts Energy Levels
When you’re well-rested and taking care of yourself, it naturally leads to having more energy. This can make it easier to get through your day and motivate you to tackle larger projects.
Improves Sleep
Getting enough quality sleep is essential for good health. Self-care can help you get the rest you need, leading to improved concentration and focus during the day.
Promotes Healthy Eating Habits
When you’re taking care of yourself, you’re more likely to make healthy choices when it comes to food. This includes eating regular meals, choosing nutrient-rich foods, and avoiding processed and junk foods.
Increases Physical Activity
It’s important to get regular physical activity when you’re trying to take care of yourself. This can include walking, hitting the gym, or taking a yoga class. Whatever works best for you!
Reduces Feelings of Loneliness
Many people don’t feel comfortable spending time alone, but there are actually great benefits to doing so. Getting into the habit of spending time on your own can help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Additional Benefits of Self-Care
Improved Physical Health
Greater Mental Clarity
Concentrating or thinking clearly can be challenging when you’re stressed out or exhausted. However, self-care rituals like regular meditation, deep breathing exercises, or even taking a relaxing bath can help you feel more calm and centered. This can lead to improved decision-making and greater productivity in all areas of your life.
Enhanced Relationships
When you’re taking care of yourself, it’s easier to be present for the people in your life. As a result, you’ll have more energy and patience for your loved ones, and you may even find that your bonds with them become stronger.
More Confidence
When you make self-care a priority, it shows. Others will take notice of your increased energy and positive attitude, which can boost your confidence in all areas of your life.
Greater Overall Happiness
Taking care of yourself leads to improved physical and mental health, making you feel happier and more fulfilled. There’s no better way to start living the life you deserve than by treating yourself well!
Tips for Incorporating Self-Care Into Your Life
Make Time for Yourself
In our busy lives, it’s easy to forget about our own needs. But if you don’t make time for self-care, you’ll eventually burn out. So schedule some “me time” into your day, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference it makes!
Find Activities That You Enjoy
Not all forms of self-care will appeal to everyone. So find the ones that work best for you and that you enjoy doing. This could include things like reading, going for walks in nature, taking a yoga class, or listening to relaxing music.
Set Realistic Goals
Trying to do too much at once is a surefire recipe for stress. So start small and focus on realistic goals that you can achieve. For example, if you’re trying to improve your diet, start by adding one or two healthy meals per week. Or, if you want to exercise more, commit to walking for 20 minutes every day.
Be Patient With Yourself
Change doesn’t happen overnight. So don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results right away. Just keep doing your best and trust that the benefits of self-care will eventually show up in your life.
Examples of Self-Care Activities
Everyone has unique self-care needs. While it is true that everyone needs to get enough sleep and benefits from eating healthy and regular exercise, other self-care activities vary greatly from person to person. For example, one person may find relaxing with a good book at the end of the day a great form of self-care. But for someone who doesn’t enjoy reading, this activity may actually raise stress levels rather than lower them. Instead, they may enjoy a relaxing bath or enjoy some quiet alone time.
Here are some common self-care activities:
1. Get enough sleep
Most adults need around 7-9 hours of sleep per night
Sleep is essential for many reasons, but one of the most important is that it allows our bodies to rest and recharge. When we don’t get enough sleep, it can lead to health problems like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. It can also cause us to be more irritable and have difficulty concentrating.
To help you get enough sleep, try going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, creating a bedtime routine, and eliminating electronics from your bedroom.
Learn more about how much sleep you need:
2. Eat Healthy Foods
Eating nutritious meals is essential for maintaining your health. So make sure to include plenty of vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats in your diet. Limit and eliminate sugary, processed foods as much as possible.
We recommend a low-carb, high-fat diet for anyone with prediabetes or diabetes. This diet allows for great control and stabilization of blood sugar levels and also encourages natural weight loss. You’ll enjoy lots of healthy, whole foods that will leave you feeling satiated and satisfied on this diet.
Learn more about healthy eating here:
3. Exercise Regularly
Exercise is a great way to reduce stress, improve mood, and boost your energy levels. Just be sure to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity of your workouts over time.
Pick an exercise or physical activity that is enjoyable for you. For example, you could choose to swim, walk, bike, rollerblade, hike, run, dance, shoot baskets, play sports, or practice yoga. It’s not so important the type of activity that you choose. What is important is that you’re being active regularly.
The CDC recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. This can be broken down to 30 minutes a day for five days each week. If your schedule doesn’t allow for 30 minutes together, you could break this down even further to 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon.
Learn more about exercise here:
4. Take Breaks Throughout The Day
Taking a break can mean different things to different people. For some, it may mean taking a walk outside or listening to calming music. Others may find relief in reading a book, playing with a pet, or spending time with friends or family.
5. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. It helps you increase self-awareness and focus on what really matters in life. There are many ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine, including meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, and more.
One of the best things about mindfulness is that it’s completely free and can be done anywhere, at any time.
6. Connect With Loved Ones
Spending quality time with friends and family can help you feel happier and more fulfilled. So make an effort to connect with those who matter most to you whenever possible! Whether that means meeting up for coffee, going on a hike together, or just chatting on the phone, quality time with loved ones is always time well spent.
7. Do Something Nice for Yourself
8. Be Accepting of Yourself
One of the most important aspects of self-care is learning to accept yourself as you are. This means being gentle with yourself when you make mistakes, forgiving yourself for past choices, and letting go of any negative self-talk. Remember that you are doing the best you can and that no one is perfect!
9. Seek Professional Help
If you’re struggling to cope with stress or other mental health issues, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. A therapist can provide support and guidance that can make all the difference in your life.
Self-Care and Diabetes
A study published in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders noted seven self-care activities that can help people with diabetes better manage their blood sugar, avoid hospitalization and avoid serious complications:
- Healthy eating
- Being physically active
- Monitoring blood sugar levels
- Taking medications as directed
- Good problem-solving skills
- Practicing risk-reduction behaviors
- Developing healthy coping skills
Stress can also negatively impact blood sugar levels and make diabetes harder to manage. Some research indicates that high stress levels may contribute to developing diabetes. For this reason, stress reduction is an important part of managing diabetes. When combined with other healthy lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and sleep, it may be possible to reverse prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
If you have prediabetes or diabetes, it is important that you practice daily self-care to help manage stress and help improve your overall health and happiness.
The Bottom Line
The key is to find self-care activities that bring out the best in YOU and allow you to recharge your batteries so that you can continue facing life’s challenges with a sense of positivity and purpose. So take some time to reflect on what brings you joy and fulfillment, and start practicing these self-care activities regularly to live your best life!
So if you’re feeling stressed out or overwhelmed, know that there are many different self-care activities that you can turn to to help manage your stress levels and improve your overall well-being. Whether it’s getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, taking breaks throughout the day, doing something nice for yourself, seeking professional help, or finding other activities that bring you joy and happiness, remember that self-care should be a top priority. With the right balance of restorative practices and positive habits, you can better cope with stress and enjoy life to the fullest.