The Witch's Book of Self-Care: Magical Ways to Pamper, Soothe, and Care for Your Body and Spirit - Arin Murphy-Hiscock 2018

Stress and the Physical Body
Physical Self-Care

Physical health is an important element of self-care. Respect your body by nourishing it, caring for it, and celebrating it. Your body is the vehicle that houses your spirit, and deserves honor for that. A healthy relationship with your body strengthens and supports the self-care work you do to keep your mind and spirit healthy. Self-esteem, self-love, and well-being are all intertwined, and the physical body often is shunted lower on the list of priorities when it comes to self-care. Topics like food, aging, clothing choice, rest, and exercise can carry uncomfortable associations rooted in past expectations or experiences, and make it hard for you to accept and love your physical body. You are worth it. The physical body is an important part of you and your self-care regime. This chapter explores ways to approach caring for the physical body.

Stress and the Physical Body

High levels of stress can lead to an overtaxed immune system and is said to reduce the efficiency at which you digest food and extract nutrients from it. Stress interrupts sleep or lowers the quality of it. Stress leads to taking poor self-care, and that’s something that needs to change in order to keep yourself in optimal shape physically and otherwise.

If you have access to medical professionals and decent medical insurance, don’t ignore the opportunity for annual medical and dental checkups. Catching potential problems before they become major issues can save you a lot of grief. If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, or an inordinate amount of stress, take those issues to your medical professional as well. Remember, these things are not weaknesses or failures; they’re symptoms of your body’s systems not working to optimal efficiency.