Acknowledging Stress in Respect to the Cognizance of the Importance of Self-Care

Writen by Nishtha Tikalal | July 31, 2020

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In the modern world, self-care is a popularised topic of interest. Often publicised in today’s top influencers, models, actresses, actors, etc., it seems as if they can afford to prioritise themselves because their lives are perfect and stress-free. They are perfect and stress-free.

Driven by meticulous thought, actions, or emotions, whether it be in our control or not, stress is a state of tension that tends to overwhelm and fragment an individual's state of bodily equilibrium. This vexatious concept, however perfect you may think somebody’s life may be, is part of everybody's life. It's inevitable and it does affect everyone, regardless of their socio-economic lifestyle and/or status. It is not healthy to seek attainment of a false dream. On the other hand, it is also not healthy to think negatively about oneself, for things can change and that fate is not sealed yet. If thought as legitimate “life” insurance, we can conclude that any event set to happen in the near or just further is neither true or false. It can only be true at the exact moment in time that it happens.

The inevitability of stress emerges from the simple truth that some days are going to be harder than others, whether they come out of the blue or not. For the majority of the human population, stress usually happens on a day-to-day basis. Acknowledging it, or being self-aware of the fact rather than the torture of self-pity is a greater step to aquiring a salubrious self-care routine in life. This holds great importance, because most people don’t even know that they're stressed out. It's only until you start to feel a lingering exhaustion from physical, emotional, mental actions that deprive you from the motivation and drive you once had.

Self-care is an extremely broad term that can be easily be limited by prioritising oneself in a manner that is unselfish. If this statement is not overthought by the slightest, the concept is simple; go get your hair done, hit the gym, go bowling with friends, treat yourself to cake, get “dolled” up, etc. However, it is important to note that not every good thing is “good” in terms of self-care. Sometimes, we may be driven to utilise detrimental coping mechanisms (drugs, alcohol,etc.) to suppress that one thing that is causing stress to the body and mind, without realisation of the fact that the relief is only temporary.

To sit down and reflect upon yourself can be extremely hard, because we tend to overthink every possible factor that could make things not work out. Exempli gratia:

• “I don’t have the time.”

• “What if…?”

• “If I do this, is that going to get up and do the task itself?”

The list goes on. Not much excuses, but more of a general anxiety shown towards a slight disruption in the normalised state, whether that be way too lackadaisical, robotic, or somewhere in the middle.

It’s okay to fear change and jubilance, especially if it is not something that you are used to having in life. It’s actually very easy to reject the tiniest reprieves in life because it feels like a luxury we don’t deserve. No matter how fancy and opulent a term may sound, self-care is crucial for health all together. It is not restricted to the mental factor, or the physical factor, or the emotional factor. It does not mean you are favoring yourself over others. It simply defines the fact that you are just being mindful of your own needs, which in a sense, means that you are equipping yourself to handle a variety of stressors that can help you support the other priorities in life.