Self-care is a buzzword that is heard all too often these days. But what exactly is self-care? Upon deeper investigation it’s clear that different people have different definitions. Some see self-care as regular pampering; equivalent to the “Treat Yo’ Self” mantra from the hilarious Parks and Recreation episode. Others see self-care as attending to the basic physiological needs including water, adequate nutrition, sleep, and more. Neither is wrong, and in-fact, the core definition may lie somewhere in between the aforementioned ideas.
Even if you don’t know what self-care exactly means, there are tell-tale signs that you need some. These can include: running low on energy, dwindling enthusiasm, feeling stressed, anxious or out of balance. The simplest way to think of self-care is as time spent that “refuels your well.” For some that may mean a weekly massage, others that may mean making an effort to get baseline adequate hours of sleep each night and properly hydrate. No matter the practice, at the core of any self-love or self-care act is discipline and forming healthy habits. When we can regularly do something for ourselves to support our optimal well-being, it becomes an act of care.
Some benefits of self-care include:
- lessened emotional reactivity
- improved relationship skills
- increased well-being
- increased optimism and hope
- better physical health management
- improved mood
- improved quality of life
- decreased stress levels
- increased ability to maintain a work-life balance
Another commonly overlooked aspect of self-care is that it’s important to think of it holistically as addressing mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our well-being. Meaning, we may be great at physical self-care, but not regularly engage in emotional self-care which leaves us stressed or holding onto unprocessed feelings. Or we could be excellent at mental self-care by consistently challenging ourselves to learn more, take workshops, read new books, while neglecting our physical well-being by getting inadequate rest. To create a balanced self-care routine we should consider all dimensions of our wellness. Below are some examples for each dimension. -XO Raw Girl
For mental self-care you can: discover new authors or topics of interest that excite us to begin reading, do regular mind puzzles or crosswords, watch videos or listen to podcasts that add to our knowledge, or try learning a new language. In addition to these spending time planning and dreaming out loud can be a part of mental self-care.
Physical self-care can involve getting adequate rest, engaging in exercise and movement that you love, setting aside time for rest and relaxation each week, planning pampering activities like massages or facials, and last but not least eating a balanced diet of nutrient dense but enjoyable foods.
Spiritual self-care tends to bleed out and effect every other aspect of our lives. Mindfulness activities should be at the core of spiritual self-care. Some of these include: nature bathing, praying, daily meditation, journaling, meditative walks, yoga (which can also be physical), honoring your values with activities, attending church or support groups and pursuing experiences that ignite awe and inspiration.
For emotional self-care you may need to see a therapist if struggling with life events or sudden changes, make time for close friends and family, express your emotions through a creative outlet, join a support group or prayer group, make journaling an active practice daily, and resist the urge to self-medicate and avoid emotions using food, drugs, or other substances.