A psychologist spoke about the importance of self-care

In today's world, we are always in a hurry to get somewhere, solve hundreds of tasks and often forget about the most important thing - ourselves. But if you don't stop and start taking care of your physical and emotional health, it will inevitably lead to fatigue, burnout and even illness. Taking care of yourself is not a whim, but the foundation of a person's life, for the quality of which only he is responsible. Lyudmila Zhamaletdinova, a consulting psychologist, told Izvestia more about this on November 22, Psychologist's Day.

"You are the main resource. You can burn at work, manage a thousand things, but if you do not take care of yourself, at one point your strength will run out. Taking care of yourself is like regularly recharging the battery, without which all your ambitions and plans will go to waste", - explained the expert.

According to her, taking care of yourself, a person fills his internal reserves. For example, when he gets enough sleep, eats well and is not in constant stress, he is much more productive and copes with tasks faster.

"Taking care of yourself allows you to not react to stress acutely. You become calmer, more confident and worry less about nothing," she noted.

Zhamaletdinova specified that self-care includes a good sleep of seven or eight hours a day. Lack of sleep is a quick way to irritability and low energy. She also advised to include more fruits, vegetables, and protein in the diet. This does not mean that you need to give up everything tasty - you just need to remember the balance, emphasized the psychologist.

She recommended moving more. You don't need to work up a sweat in the gym, Zhamaletdinova said. The main thing is movement. A walk, light exercise, yoga - all this is already beneficial. Movement helps get rid of tension in the body and improves mood.

"Constant work without pauses is a direct path to burnout. Give yourself breaks to change your environment and reboot your brain. For example, 5-10 minutes of rest every hour can radically improve your productivity," the expert explained.

She also recommended learning to set boundaries. According to her, a person risks burnout by constantly agreeing to unnecessary tasks, meetings and help, so it is worth giving up what does not bring joy and benefit.

"Make time for a hobby. It can be anything - reading, drawing, cooking, music. The important thing is that it brings pleasure and distracts from the routine. Pay attention to your state of mind. Meditation or breathing exercises are not magic, but a simple way to reduce anxiety. Five minutes a day and you're already feeling better. Talk to someone. Don't keep it all to yourself. Talk to a friend, a loved one or a counselor. It is important not to ignore your emotions," Zhamaletdinova added.

The psychologist advised to create rituals of taking care of yourself, such as morning coffee in silence, evening reading or just 15 minutes alone with yourself without the phone. These moments will help you feel connected to yourself and not get lost in the cycle of things.

The specialist pointed out that taking care of oneself will give a person more energy: a person will wake up with the feeling that he or she is ready to roll mountains, instead of "pulling himself or herself by the hair out of bed."

"Self-care helps you organize your thoughts and tasks. You get things done more quickly without spreading yourself thin. When you're a resource, you have more patience and desire to communicate. You become more understanding and calm. With self-care, you will also begin to value yourself more, because you are taking care of your well-being," the psychologist complemented.

She concluded that self-care is not selfishness or caprice, but a necessity, as no one can be effective and happy if their resources are running low.

"Start small - add a little sleep, a little more movement, a little more attention to your emotions - and you'll see your life change. Health, energy, calmness and satisfaction with life - this is what you can get right now if you start taking care of yourself," summarized the specialist.

In October, clinical psychologist Alyona Nizhneva told Izvestia that private colds and headaches can be symptoms of burnout. According to her, avoiding this condition will help, including leaving work every day on time.