International Self-Care Day (24 July)

Most people are reasonably healthy and well as children. As we get older however, we are faced with the challenges and temptations of life such as food, alcohol and tobacco, and the opportunity for sedentary lifestyles. We are faced with choices, and risks.

Unfortunately, the common result of these choices – obesity, physical inactivity, tobacco use, alcohol abuse and unhealthy diets – are the cause of today’s epidemic of heart attacks and strokes, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and other ‘noncommunicable diseases.’

The good news is that it is possible to reduce substantially our risk of these diseases by adjusting our lifestyles, taking more care of ourselves by practicing self-care.

Is self-care hard to do? Some elements certainly are, such as the difficulty that smokers have in quitting tobacco use. But there is much that most of us can do to help ourselves to stay healthy and to help prevent or delay lifestyle diseases.

The way forward for most of us, is to take small steps in positive directions.

Which directions? The International Self-Care Foundation has developed the ‘Seven Pillars of Self-Care’ which provide us useful framework and starting point.

THE SEVEN PILLARS OF SELF-CARE

Pillar 1:

Knowledge & Health literacy – includes: the capacity of individuals to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.

Pillar 2:

Mental wellbeing, Self-awareness & Agency – includes: knowing your body mass index (BMI), cholesterol level, blood pressure; engaging in health screening.

Pillar 3:

Physical activity – practicing moderate intensity physical activity such as walking, cycling, or participating in sports at a desirable frequency.

Pillar 4:

Healthy eating – includes: having a nutritious, balanced diet with appropriate levels of calorie intake.

Pillar 5:

Risk avoidance or mitigation – includes: quitting tobacco, limiting alcohol use, getting vaccinated, practicing safe sex, using sunscreens.

Pillar 6:

Good hygiene – includes: washing hands regularly, brushing teeth, washing food.

Pillar 7:

Rational and responsible use of products, services, diagnostics and medicines – includes: being aware of dangers, using responsibly when necessary.

Source:
https://isfglobal.org/PRACTISE-SELF-CARE/THE-SEVEN-PILLARS-OF-SELF-CARE/