(ThyBlackMan.com) Self-care is important. Not only for women but for men as well. It is the act of intentionally taking time to take care of yourself. Daily routines are often considered self-care, however, actual self-care is intentional action, not something that happens out of habit or routine. Self-care is very important for black men to partake in, in order to unwind and have moments of separation from the different struggles that come with being a black man. Playing video games allow an escape but it doesn’t help relieve some of the tension that your body holds onto when you have these negative experiences.
Have you ever been enjoying a massage by your significant other and she gets to a certain spot and within a few seconds of her rubbing, you feel a release? That is tension, which has been built up over time. Tension can be created from sitting wrong, making false moves and stress. Stress is the most common cause of built-up tension. This is because men often internalize the stresses that they actually experience, rather than expressing them, which leads to 
stress, causing built up tension.
The American Psychological Associations says, “Chronic stress causes the muscles in the body to be in a more or less constant state of guardedness. When muscles are taut and tense for long periods of time, this may trigger other reactions of the body and even promote stress-related disorders.” Some stressed induced disorders, which is synonymous with diseases, are heart disease, diabetes, and asthma. So even if you believe that you are handling your stress well, internalizing it and not confronting it can have very real side effects.
The physical symptoms of stress are not spoken about enough and are overlooked, which creates a disconnect between the knowledge of self and everyday life. Could you imagine having pains in your chest or feeling down and depressed and not really knowing what the problem is? This disconnect often leads to lack of confidence, insecurity, and lashing out at others due to not understanding what your body or mind is experiencing and why. So it is important that you not only indulge in self-care for the sake of caring for yourself, but also for releasing some of those tensions built up in your body that can lead to physical ailments and unnecessary confrontation with those around you.
There are three things that you can do that will significantly help release the built up tension in your body. These actions are very intentional and should be done regularly. If you are not able to do them regularly, consider doing them once a week.
Stretch
One self-care practice that will help with releasing tension is stretching, especially before you go to sleep. Stretching, in general, is good for your overall health. However, if you have to schedule a time to do so, then it is suggested that stretch before you go to sleep. Stretching before you go to sleep will increase the quality of sleep that you are able to get. Most of the time quality sleep is difficult to achieve because of the built up tension in your body, which is why most have their best sleep after having intercourse. Intercourse releases tension in the body, which allows your body to relax and actually rest. Have you ever wondered why you were more tired when you woke up than when you went to sleep? Try stretching before you go to sleep and measure the quality of sleep that you are able to get.
Foot Massage
The part of the body that is often overlooked but is used every day is the feet. If you are able to use your feet, they are your primary mode of transportation. Primary in the sense that, they get you everywhere you want to go. Even if you have a vehicle, you need your feet to drive it. A foot massage will allow your body to feel lighter. Since your feet are burdened with having to carry all of your body weight when you get your feet massaged the tension is released. It will allow you to not only feel lighter but also work longer without feeling the pain of being on your feet, in your feet, especially if you do manual labor. If you don’t have anyone to give you a foot massage, you can actually do it yourself and the results are the same even though the actual message doesn’t feel as good as if someone else were doing it. If you don’t have a significant other and you don’t want to do it yourself, go get a pedicure. A foot massage is usually customary when getting a pedicure and you can also pay extra if you’d like an extended pedicure session.
Full Body Massage
A full body massage is something that should be done as often as possible. Not only will a full body massage relax you and help release tension, but it will also allow you to find out where the most tension build up is in your body, and work on stretching that area consistently. Stretching and full body massages work hand in hand when it comes to riding the body of tension. A full body massage will allow tension build up to be manually worked out of your body. The key to a successful session is to be mindful of how your body reacts to different locations on your body being massaged and not be afraid to ask the masseuses to work that section a bit longer if you think it might be a hub of tension.
Self-care is absolutely necessary to prevent burnout. Care for yourself just as much as it is your job to care for those around you. You can’t pour from an empty glass.
Staff Writer; Sister Victoria X
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