Do Millennials lead self-care and wellness conversations?
Self-care is a hard commitment to make. We get busy and neglect ourselves. Maybe it’s the fast-paced work or a long commute that leaves little time for relaxation. Or maybe the kids come first. For the first time, September is being recognized as Self-Care Awareness Month. Self-Care Awareness Month was created to raise the awareness of the value of individual self-care in the nation.
Who is doing the self-care dance the best? Generation X, Baby Boomers, Millennials? Okay, we can all use some tips in an increasingly busy world but Millennials are talking about it the most. Why? This recent NPR article claims that millennials are obsessed with self-care and credits the internet for the trend.
Thanks to social media, there are holidays or observances for nearly everything you can imagine. There is “Talk Like A Pirate Day,” “National Sibling Day,” “Work Naked Day,” I foresee many HR violations with that one. It’s no surprise that self-care gets a shout-out too.
What is self-care?
While there are many definitions, I prefer this one from PyschCentral. “Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health.”
That’s totally something you do, right? …Maybe not so much.
As a millennial, my self-care method of choice is Zumba.
About two and a half years ago I found myself in a rut. I was stressed, under a lot of pressure and doing anything but self-care. My friend dragged me to a Zumba class and I had the time of my life! It was the reminder I needed that working out is essential to good health and that working out doesn’t need to be a chore. After continuing to go to classes I started dabbling in other areas of fitness. Within a years’ time, I had completed my first sprint triathlon and half marathon – mind you I was a former couch potato.
Benefits of Zumba
Zumba did so much more for me than address my physical health. The movements and the music really improved my mental and emotional well-being. Although it’s cheesy and embarrassing to say, it was just like the line from a well-known movie- “Exercise gives your endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.”
When I’m not moving my feet to the beat, I run. The support and encouragement work as rocket-fuel for my soul. It keeps me healthy and my stress seems to melt away when I’m active.
So what’s your self-care method of choice? Comment below! Careful- you might get hooked! (Arrr.)
In need of inspiration? Check out this list.
