Can we all agree that there’s nothing selfish about paying attention to your health? I mean, no one would accuse you of being selfish for going to the doctor to get a check up or going to the dentist for a cleaning. Yet so many of us feel selfish for taking some time away from our families to go to a yoga class, get in a run, take a lovely bath, or get a massage—all things that are also proven to improve overall health and well-being.

Maybe it’s just me. After all, the reason this blog is called Spoiled Yogi to begin with is because at one point in my life I felt completely spoiled because I had a job that afforded me such easy access to yoga classes, organic salads, and weekly chair massages.

Of course, it’s not so easy for me these days. I often fall back into thinking I should be doing more for other people (my daughter, my husband, my editors, etc.) and I let my own needs slide—only to realize later that I’m a complete basket case who can barely think straight, let alone string a coherent sentence together to do my job! It was reading more and more research about just HOW amazing my chosen self care methods are that helps me turn that around during those times that I convenient forget to make it a priority.

Below, I’m sharing some of those studies in case you’re in the same boat. Let this be your mantra from now on:

There’s nothing selfish about self-care.

Yoga + Mindfulness Reduces Chronic Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and More

According to a new study in the journal PLOS one, practicing relaxation response techniques like yoga and meditation could reduce the need for health care services by as much as 43 percent (read more on the Yoga for Healthy Aging blog). Stress related illnesses like anxiety and depression are not only a real bummer if you’re one of the bajillions who are chronically stressed out, but in 2012 it was an $80 billion expenditure in the United States. Imagine if everyone made self-care a priority: Not only could we be happier, more productive, and more pleasant to be around (good moods are also contagious), but we’d also be able to use our money to make the world a better place, too.

If you think of it that way, it’s really your duty to take some time away from your crazy busy life to tune in yourself and your own needs through yoga and meditation.

See also 10 Things I Love about Restorative Yoga

Photo by Take Back Your Health

Bathing is Good for Your Brain and Your Nervous System

Every seasoned mama knows, when you’ve tried everything and you STILL can’t soothe a crying baby, put that baby in a bathtub! And, yet, how often do we mamas treat ourselves to a bath when we’re having a hard time soothing ourselves? Not nearly enough! Many studies have shown that simply immersing yourself in hot waters increases activity in the parasympathetic nervous system (that’s the calm, soothing one) and decreases activity in the sympathetic nervous system (that’s the fight-or-flight one). In fact, this study, which was conducted in Japan in 2000, showed no more than a foot bath was necessary to induce a relaxation response.

See also Soak It In: 4 Amazing Herbal Bath Recipes for Optimal Health

But Not Drinking Enough Water Can Be Detrimental

On the contrary, not drinking enough water also showed a negative impact on mental health. “Even mild dehydration can affect the brain structures responsible for attention, psychomotor and regulatory functions, as well as thought, memory, and perception, and has been shown to decrease reaction times in working memory, lower alertness and concentration, and increase fatigue and anxiety in adults,” writes Wallace J. Nichols in Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do.

Exercise is Makes You Smarter (and Can Actually Make Your Brain GROW!)

Research suggests aerobic exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus and increase levels of a protein that aids the growth of new brain cells, potentially holding off changes in the brain and improving memory function.

 And this, too!:

Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found that people who said they exercised for 30 minutes five times a week in late-middle age did better on cognitive tests and showed less accumulation of the beta amyloid plaque, the protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. 

But, yeah.. it’s TOTALLY selfish to leave your kids to go for a 30-minute jog a few times a week.

See also 4 Surprising Things That Help Me Manage Anxiety

Photo by David Robert Bliwas

Go Outside! Being in Nature Improves Mood, Reduces Stress

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