Psychology Today: 5 Self-Care Ideas for the Modern Man

When you think of the term “self-care,” a woman in a bathrobe lighting candles and painting her toenails might come to mind. While this may seem amazing to some, most men would probably have different desires.

The truth is, men need to work especially hard to take charge of caring for themselves. After all, is there anything more manly than being independent in your ability to care for yourself, not just physically, but emotionally and tangibly?

We also need to change the way we think of “actualized manhood” in modern times. Instead of defining ourselves only in terms of work, productivity, and the overall “get” mentality, we must embrace other parts of ourselves that make us who we are and most importantly, make us happy.

So without further delay, here are five ways for the modern man to practice self-care.

1. Make Time for Yourself

The first step to proper self-care is making time for it. It’s easy to get caught up in your daily routine and fall victim to the idea that you don’t need to reserve any kind of special time for yourself when there are other more important things to do, such as providing for your family. But making self-care a priority is essential. This is not to say that you need to devote half of your day to a yoga class and sipping tea; self-care can be practiced virtually anywhere, depending on what type you are engaging in. For example, maybe you really enjoy music, and can listen to your favorite album on your daily commute. Alternatively, maybe you know you feel better physically and mentally when you take a few hours a week to get to the gym. Making time for yourself isn’t selfish, it is necessary to being at your best, which inherently seeps into every other aspect of your life.

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