PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Starting With Yourself
What is the purpose of the personal development section?
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You might be wondering what personal development has to do with maximizing the potential of your future. While maximizing your potential in your academics and career endeavors are important, they are not the only factors that contribute to your “success” nor do they define who you are as a person. It is important to develop yourself holistically which means developing all parts of your life such as your personality, life skills, hobbies, or mental health because who you are as a person is equally important as your contributions to society. Ultimately, you are able to share more of your talents with the world when you are striving to be the best version of yourself. Think about it this way, how will you be able to pour into other cups if yours is empty? In this section of the website, we discuss how you can be the best you that you can be with an emphasis on self-care and essential life skills. Once you are in tune with yourself, everything else can follow suit!
What is self-care?
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In personal development one of the most important components is self-care. When people think of the term “self-care” many people imagine spa days or face masks. While these are a few examples of self-care, self-care actually just means actively making efforts and participating in activities to improve and maintain one's physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Self-care is meant for everyone and it is very important to develop a healthy relationship with yourself.
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Examples of self-care:
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Journaling
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Playing Sports
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Cleaning
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Resting
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Setting Boundaries
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Time with Family or Friends
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Doing Art
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Eating Healthily
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Creating a music playlist
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Why is self-care important?
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Self-care is important because when you take care of and learn to understand yourself, you are more equipped to handle the trials and tribulations of the world and put yourself in a better position to enjoy life or bounce back from the hard times. Furthermore, the thing about taking care of yourself both mentally and physically is that if you do not take the time to care for your body, your body will force you to make that time.
For example, let’s say you have a big project due so you start working long hours to ensure that you get a good grade. If you constantly ignore your mental health such as by never taking breaks from working or not carving out time to reflect on your life or do the things you love, you might undergo burn out. Burn out is a result of prolonged stress which can cause you to be more likely to get physically ill, feel drained and unmotivated, and/or affect your sleep cycles. This happens because your body is basically sending out an alert to tell you to take care of it. If that happens, you might not end up getting the high grade you originally set out to get because you are now sick or too tired to continue.
Ultimately, it is better to practice self-care as a regular part of your day-to-day routine so that you can be at your best and put your best foot forward in whatever you set out to do!
What are some misconceptions about self-care?
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There are many misconceptions and misunderstanding about self-care that are we should address:
ABOUT
Me
Self-care has no gender, race, class, religion, or any type of identity or affiliation. Self-care should be practiced by everyone because it is a part of listening to your body and mind and taking care of yourself. Caring for yourself is not reserved for any specific group.
What are some misconceptions about self-care?
​
There are many misconceptions and misunderstanding about self-care that are we should address:
ABOUT
Me
Self-care has no gender, race, class, religion, or any type of identity or affiliation. Self-care should be practiced by everyone because it is a part of listening to your body and mind and taking care of yourself. Caring for yourself is not reserved for any specific group.
What are some misconceptions about self-care?
​
There are many misconceptions and misunderstanding about self-care that are we should address:
What are some misconceptions about self-care?
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There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about self-care that are we should address:
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self care is for women
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self-care is selfish and lazy
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self-care requires too much time and effort
A few things to keep in mind:
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- Self-care is something that everyone should and can practice
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Some people are great at prioritizing self-care while others may need a little bit more help or motivation which is okay too. Just like learning anything in life some people may need a little more practice before it becomes a habit
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Think of self-care as an ongoing practice. Self-care is like a bank account. The more you do self-care, the more money you deposit in the bank. Life’s hardships or responsibilities are like taking money out of your account. If you practice self-care regularly, when you have a lot going on in life or face hardships you are more likely to be stable because you deposited so much into your self-care/ bank account. It is better to integrate self-care into your life routine so you practice it more regularly. Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself!
What is good self-care:
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Self-care should be for your benefit and improve your quality of life rather than feeling like a burden or chore. Of course, everyone has their own type of self-care but here are a few examples of things that are self-care and are not explained in the document on the right.
Now that we have gone through defining and explaining the concept of self-care, we are going to shift towards a focus on how we can implement self-care into our lifestyles. There are five major components of self-care that you can explore.
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Physical Wellness
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Mental and Emotional Wellness
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Self-Efficacy
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Interpersonal Communication
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Stress Management
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View our page on physical wellness: