You know who is amazing, inspiring, deserving of some love? SimpliHere friend and caregiver, you are! And, guess what? July 24 is International Self-Care Day.
That’s right, this is one of our favorite awareness days of the year, thanks to the Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF). This organization built on the World Health Organization (WHO)’s “Self-Care Month” of June 24 to July 24 and created a day and an awareness campaign highlighting the benefits of self-care, engaging caregivers and others to make a promise to themselves to embrace a specific self-care action on July 24.
Self-care is any action that an individual takes to look after their own health, a practice that can happen in collaboration with healthcare professionals when needed. Actively managing your own health and well-being through self-care has numerous benefits. This month, SimpliHere is providing a few suggestions for ways you can make a promise to yourself to practice self-care on July 24!
- Get some good sleep! Sleep has the power to make or break your day. But it’s not just about health. Sleep gives you energy, which is the driver behind everything you want to achieve — especially important for caregivers. With more energy, your productivity soars, your mood improves, and life feels easier. Rise Science is a free, subscription-based sleep and energy tracking app. It is designed to help you unlock better sleep and enjoy more energy to power you through your days.
- Try a salty new way to relax! Halotherapy, or salt therapy, is based on the theory that dry salt particles, which have natural anti-inflammatory properties, can help with a range of issues, including breathing, allergies, skin conditions, stress, and others. Natural salt caves date back to Medieval times in Europe, and they regained popularity in Europe in the 1980s. More recently, man-made caves are appearing across the U.S., and Joanna from SimpliHere recently visited one and loved the calming experience. If you can’t find a Salt Spa in your area, you can create a salt therapy experience right at home with a few affordable tools!
- Get your body moving! Summer is the perfect time to get outside for some simple and effective exercise, which reduces stress and improves health in myriad ways. On July 24, take some time for yourself to take a walk, go for a swim or hike, or cruise around your neighborhood on a bike. The mental health benefits of even brief exercise are instantaneous!
- Take care of your mental health! Take a moment to calo or message your physician or health care provider about resources at your disposal to improve your mental health and emotional well-being. Often, clinics and practices have built-in programs and services that are available to you at little or no cost, no matter your location. Concert Health, for example, partners with health care practices to offer patients with virtual visits with expert clinicians, who provide evidence-based treatments for patients with behavioral health conditions, like anxiety or depression.
- Nourish your body! Promise yourself that on July 24, you will practice self-care by eating healthy, nutritious food. Much like exercise, the idea of “eating well” can mean any number of things, and each of us has different needs and goals. Whether it’s promising yourself that on July 24 you will focus on plant-based foods, skip alcohol, avoid sugar-sweetened beverages, or pick whole food snacks, take a day to nourish your body in the healthiest way you can, and you’ll feel the incredible benefits around the clock and for days after.
We really hope you’ll make the Self-Care Promise on July 24 to yourself this year to celebrate you, and recognize that the “oxygen mask theory” is true… If you don’t take care of yourself first, you can’t take care of others. Happy International Self-Care Day!
