Self-Care is Always Important

Hey there! We are back again with another talk about self-care! I have written other articles about how self-care is so important and what I do that I consider self-care but I thought I would give a little update and talk more about some of the things I do now.

Self-care as an important part of a thyroid eye disease journey

Self-care is so underrated, I have realized. So many people do not take the time to relax and take care of themselves. It really hit me when I got my Graves’ disease diagnosis and then thyroid eye disease (TED) diagnosis. When I was diagnosed with thyroid disease, I knew that if I did not go on medication and really try to take care of myself, it would not get any better and it could become dangerous. If I did not take this seriously, it wouldn’t be good. That got me thinking about how a ton of people don’t prioritize self-care and taking the time to relax when their body is overworked. Ever since my diagnoses, I make sure that I practice some self-care. Maybe not as often as I would like, but it is something I try to include in my weekly routine.

What even is self-care?

I think it could mean something different to every single person depending on what they are going through. Maybe you work a ton and instead of doing or going somewhere on the weekend, you stay home and relax because you are burnt out. Maybe it’s having a movie night with close friends. Maybe it’s having a spa night. Maybe it’s going to a concert and screaming the lyrics and dancing until you can’t move anymore. As I said before, I think it’s totally different for everyone depending on the situation they are in.

For me, I have realized that self-care is not just one thing. Self-care for me is going to my psychologist and taking medication for my OCD and anxiety. For me, sometimes self-care is sitting at home on the weekends and watching movies, and catching up on some tv shows. For me, self-care is snuggling up with a blanket and getting lost in a new book. It’s calling up a friend and asking them to meet up for coffee or a drink. It’s trying my hardest to eat healthy but also allowing myself to have that ice cream when I want it. It’s doing some form of cardio several days during the week.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and just plain exhausted, maybe it’s time for you to have a self-care day! When I feel myself getting overwhelmed I have found that it really helps me. I’ve found that since I have been making it part of my weekly routine, my mood has significantly improved. Taking that time out of a busy week to do some form of self-care really helps. Now, I don’t want anyone to think that I am ordering you to stop whatever you are doing and practice self-care, but it’s something that has had a positive effect on my life!

Do you practice self-care?

Is self-care an important part of your thyroid eye disease journey? How do you define self-care, or what are some of the activities that you would consider self-care? Have they made a positive impact? Share your experience with the community by clicking the button below.