The art of living well
Self-prioritising might be condemned as a selfish gesture yet is essential to intrinsic happiness, health and wellbeing, appreciating and experiencing life and supporting the people who matter to you. No wonder the world can be stubborn about signalling how dreadful it is to put your needs, health and comforts before the endless continuum of responsibilities you are assigned to perform.
The feeling of guilt will be incredible and overwhelming especially when for a long you have sabotaged yourself and compromised on comfort and peace for professional or familial responsibilities. Debunking the myths associated with self-care, once you get into practice, you discover how it has rendered you more efficient, healthy and serene. You are less likely to snap at yourself or fidget in anxiety seeing the extra pile of work. You are better equipped to nurture interpersonal relationships and attend to yourself. Eventually, you become adept in utilising the finite time and resources allocated and be contented with the day’s achievements.
You might never find enough time to carefully perform the flurry of activities that are hurled at you, but being in a rush round the clock can be tremendously exhausting and threatening to your creative skills. If you always have a penchant for pushing yourself, multitasking and overwork, you are more likely to experience gushes of anxiety, stress, exhaustion, low productivity and sleeplessness. The best way to heal is by slowing down and being kind to yourself. Leisurely spending a couple of minutes and appreciating the beauty of it before the day’s rush takes over is a beautiful way to start the day.
Perhaps the most underrated art of self-care, mindfulness restores balance and positivity in life. In a capitalist-consumerist society where self-care is always related to luxury and extravagance that only a privileged few can afford, mindfulness comes across as a radical concept. Being mindful is being cognizant of your surroundings, physical sensations, emotions and feelings sans distractions or judgement. Let yourself become attuned to the passing thoughts and sensations and the pleasure to relish your company—be it music, nature or people. With mindfulness, you actively work on reducing stress, high blood pressure, cardiovascular ailments, chronic pains, insomnia and even gastrointestinal difficulties. You embrace a new, non-toxic life that no corporate-funded wellness schedule can promise.
As a concept, self-prioritising and asserting your needs should be incorporated into the daily schedule to bring about the desired change in the way you feel.
