January at the Orlando Science Center is Self-Care Aware Month!

But what does "self-care" mean anyway? We're here to tell you, it's more than just spa days and daily chocolates! 

When you think of self-care, chances are you think of taking daily walks, meditating, reading, playing music, or any other activity that makes you happy. These activities are external to you, meaning they’re things that happen outside of your body. But stress is an internal experience. You feel it inside your body, and it impacts each of us a little bit differently.

Some people might have trouble sleeping, while others might experience scattered thoughts when facing stressful situations. Some people may even have difficulty breathing! So how do we battle these internal feelings of stress?

The scientific answer is to regulate your nervous system. Your nervous system controls everything you do – walking, thinking, feeling, and even breathing. It’s important that any kind of self-care you practice cares for your entire nervous system – both your body and your brain. There are some activities that scientists recommend to help you do this, including mindful breathing, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation, which involves intentionally relaxing one muscle at a time.

When you make self-care a routine part of your life, research suggests that you can reduce stress and avoid burnout, which is a feeling of emotional, mental, and even physical exhaustion that can be caused by prolonged stress. Tuning into yourself and enhancing your emotional self-awareness through regular self-care is a great way to create balance in your life.