Question

For this given below discussion, you have to select all practices and for each self-care practice: Identify one barrier that prevents people from using the self-care practices, and provide a description of each barrier and how it can be overcome.

The following are a list of self care practices.

1. Relaxation and Pampering

2. Exercise Regularly

3. Proper Nutrition

4. Adequate Sleep

5. Social Support and Relationships

Answer 1

1. Relaxation and Pampering:

Family can act as a barrier in that a lot of people tend to put the needs of their family before their own needs, and if they do something or treat themselves with something special, we tend to feel guilty about doing so. It is important for everyone to be selfish and think about themselves every once and awhile. Treating or pampering you and giving yourself the much needed time for relaxation is important to everyone’s sanity. In order to overcome this barrier, we as individuals need to understand the importance of putting ourselves first and not feeling guilty about treating ourselves sometimes over your family. In order to be your best self for others and your family, you need to take care of your own needs first, which includes taking time to relax and pamper yourself.

2. Exercise Regularly:

Time is a huge barrier for a lot of people when comes to incorporating exercise regularly into your daily routine. Time can be limiting for many individuals for many various reasons but it is important that we understand how exercising regularly can benefit us in multiple ways. In order to overcome this barrier we feel of not having the extra or available time to incorporate exercise into our routine, we must actually plan and write it down into our schedule. Blocking out and committing to a specific time will help to follow through and commit to this plan whereas we could easily overlook or skip, saying we will do it tomorrow, which can easily turn into a daily habit. Once a routine has developed from blocking out and scheduling regular exercise, one will be more likely to adhere and develop a habit of this.

3. Proper Nutrition:

Finances can pose as a barrier to many when it comes to proper nutrition and eating healthy. It is not free or cheap to purchase food that is healthy and nutritious, therefore people who may have financial constraints, do not feel proper nutrition is of importance. Everyone’s situation is different therefore overcoming this barrier is best determined upon each individual’s situational differences. There are many assistive meal programs that are accessible for some, as well as transportation services if financial constraints have imposed to limit ones transportation. Even if it is cutting back or changing one aspect of your diet and nutrition at a time, you are still progressing and taking strides to overcoming this barrier.

4. Adequate Sleep:

Work or school can be intense and demand a lot of people, therefor acting as a barrier to one’s ability of getting the proper amount or adequate sleep every night. Sometimes you may end up working late or staying up into the late night hours to finish an assignment before a deadline which then takes away from being able to get the proper amount of sleep that night. In order to overcome this barrier of work or school, it is important to recognize the importance of sleep and how it can negatively affect one’s life in various ways. When knowing and understanding this importance, we will then find it necessary to plan our work and school schedules accordingly, in order to allow for the proper and adequate amount of sleep each night.

5. Social Support and Relationships:

Depending upon each individual circumstance, one barrier that can limit the availability of social support and relationships can be that of geographic location. For whatever the reason may be, it is not always that we are able to remain close and living within a reasonable distance of those whom we receive social support or have developed relationships with. In order to overcome this barrier it is important to make use of both technology and social media, as ways to keep in contact with those who are not within close proximity. It may not fulfill or satisfy our needs completely at first, but can still serve its purpose and eventually with time, become more beneficial as first thought. It is also important to participate and involve yourself in activities where you can meet people that are within the area, and to hopefully develop relationships that can serve this purpose in supporting both yourself and the other persons needs for social support and relationships.