Self-Care – Most Important and Most Misunderstood

Self-care is one of the most important and at the same time, misunderstood concepts. Do you self-care? When I ask my Denver clients this question I usually get a scrunched up face and a comment along the lines of “I don’t have time for that.”

Self care might seem like such a simple concept but when it’s viewed through a functional medicine lens, it empowers you and your practitioner to really laser target those lifestyle considerations that often lead to chronic conditions or serious illnesses.

“That’s a principle of Functional Medicine that runs through everything we do…”

At Omnia Health, you’ll often hear us use phrases like “dig deeper” or “deep dive.” That’s a principle of Functional Medicine that runs through everything we do to help you break through the old patterns and discover the roadblocks to your optimal health – we seek to understand what’s really going on by digging deeper!

So, let’s take a deep dive into the practical meaning of self-care. I have spent many hours on this inquiry and I personally have divided it into three categories:

1) Self Maintenance

2) Self Pampering

3) Self Investment

Self-Maintenance – This includes all the things you need to do to have optimal health and hygiene. Think of the maintenance you do with your car’s oil changes, tire rotations and wash and clean.

The things we do for ourselves are things like brushing our hair, seeing the dentist and eating. We sort of “have” to do this category. It’s more of an obligation than a choice.

Self-Pampering – This is more of a choice than an obligation. This category is what most people think of when they think of self-care. This is about doing things like going to get massages or getting a mani-pedi.

This category is why a lot of people say they don’t have time or money for and why so many people say they don’t – self-care.

Self-Investment – This is where the new take of self-care comes in. I call it “self-investment” because there is definitely a return on your investment!  This helps shift the mindset from doing something selfishly for yourself and seeing that action as more of an investment in yourself. When you invest in something it grows and becomes better.

Think of a financial investment. You do this so you can grow your money and have more resources.

Shift your thinking – If you can start thinking of investing in yourself in lieu of self-care, perhaps the results won’t appear or feel as selfish and it won’t end up delayed on the back burner. 

What’s Included in Self-Investment 

But what kinds of things are included in the category of self-investment? Well, what I will say is I cannot answer that for you. This isn’t a “one size fits all” answer. And it’s not about “what” you will do, it’s how it will make you “feel”. 

What we are looking for are things that have you feeling a sense of relief, a sense of saying “ahhhhh” as you take a long exhale. That will be different for different people. It may be playing Candy Crush for 10 minutes or taking a slow walk in the sunshine.

“It may be playing Candy Crush for 10 minutes or taking a slow walk in the sunshine.”

Essentially what we are looking for is to take things off your busy plate so that you can have a… pause. And in that pause, you have time to recharge your battery – even for a few minutes. And recharging that battery is the investment you are looking for.

Think of how differently you will approach people and things in your life when you aren’t running on empty. You will be more present, aware, attentive, and energetic.

And THAT is the best investment you can make in yourself.

Want to learn more? Ready to dig deeper to discover how to live your best life? Let’s talk!

Call Lisa Marini to schedule a health coaching session to work on your specific needs: 720-229-4809

What is Functional Medicine? Learn more here.