What is Self-Care?

Living in this day and age, you have probably heard of this term, “self-care.” What exactly is this, and why is this important for us?

Self-care, simply means- taking care of yourself.

What do you mean by taking care of yourself and how does one take care of themselves? Great question! I think self-care in general could look very different from person to person, simply because our needs as individuals are very different. However, I think a great self-care involves doing whatever necessary to keep you physically, mentally and emotionally healthy.

How does self-care look like?

Self-care could look like:

  • Taking short breaks and doing breathing exercises

  • Taking a social media break to free up your mental space, to focus on what’s important

  • Going for a jog or other physical exercises

  • Indulging in a healthy, well-balanced meal

  • Journaling or songwriting, to express your thoughts and feelings

  • Spending time with yourself alone and allowing your heart to feel and process the recent events

  • Being kind to yourself (not condemning/ being too harsh to yourself)

Is Self-care selfish?

As simple as self-care sounds like, this is a rather new concept to be taken into account especially if you’re living in an Asian culture. The idea of resting or taking a break, or even doing an activity that doesn’t seem to be productive (but something that would nourish you) doesn’t seem to be well received, or worse still- could be perceived negatively, like being lazy, selfish or even self-indulgence.

I’d like to suggest that self-care is certainly not a selfish act, but rather, a very healthy act that one should practice in their daily lives. I’d like to put it this way- you are a healthier and better version of yourself when you’re physically, mentally and emotionally healthy; which allows you to have better connections in interpersonal relationships, lower stress level so you could be more productive at work, happier in general, and overall improving your quality of life.

Self-care is investing in yourself.

Your health (physical, mental, emotional) is worth the investment, because you’re worth the investment. Do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones. Because at the end of the day, you deserve to live a healthy, thriving life. You are worth the investment.

Start your self-care journey today

You can always start small by incorporating a breathing exercise after a long day before you sleep. Take a moment to stop, breathe, focus on your breath and rest. We made a video about “55 seconds challenge” where we encourage people to take time to stop, breathe and feel during a day to day basis. This could be a great starting point if you’re looking to start your self-care journey- check out the video here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzzOIN_rwzs

About Life Tunes Music Therapy:

Life Tunes Music Therapy was founded in 2020 by Ivy Tan, MT-BC (board certified- music therapist) with a mission to empower individuals in thriving in both physical and emotional well-being. Currently based in Johor Bahru, Life Tunes Music Therapy provides music therapy services online and in-person (Johor Bahru area only). With the motto of “Changing lives one tune at a time”, we believe in the power of change that comes with the healing power of music.