Self-care: what? So what? Now what?
Photo: Autumn Goodman @ Unsplash
What is self-care and why is it worth reading about?
Self-care is activity that supports a person’s emotional, mental and physical health. An individual’s self-care activities are essentially a personalised wellness program. One person may find a forest hike just the solution to reinvigorate their body and spirit. Others may choose to knit, read or go out with friends when they need to replenish the well. These are some common examples of self-care.
But self-care doesn’t only mean partaking in a fun pastime. Other types of self-care may involve taking care of one’s financial matters, such as setting and adhering to a budget or starting a retirement fund. Self-care may entail improving one’s physical health through exercise, or setting goals for one’s career, education or personal life. It can also mean seeing a doctor or therapist, because self-care can include seeking professional help.
We often talk about ‘burnout’ at work - as if we only experience it in professional settings. But working parenthood can also cause the same sorts of problems - including a feeling of exhaustion, lack of motivation and a sense of ineffectiveness. Burnout can cause people to become irritable, depressed or angry. Especially those who work in caring professions, where the needs of others often trump our own, compassion fatigue can also be the result of burnout.
Self-care - a collection of routine, habitual practices that ensure you fill your pot and replenish your resources - is an essential mitigator against the worst pressures and forces working against our mental health and wellbeing. Like tending to a garden, a little bit, every day, we reap the rewards of self-care over the long term - and protect ourselves against mental, physical and emotional instability.
What are the benefits of self-care?
Reduced stress. Activities that help with stress management include a brisk walk after work or turning off email notifications in the evenings and on days off.
Increased well-being. Self-care can have a cascade effect, meaning an improvement in one aspect of a person’s well-being, such as their mental health, can contribute to improved well-being in other aspects, including their physical and emotional health.
Sense of accomplishment. Setting goals and achieving them can boost a person’s confidence.
Improved health. Self-care activities can help a person manage their physical and emotional health, which can lead to better long-term disease management. They can also help prevent illness.
Healthy relationships. Burnout can cause anger, depression and other negative emotions to seep into an individual’s personal and professional relationships. Conversely, self-care can help strengthen a person’s relationships with their family and colleagues.
Professional satisfaction. When a person takes care of themselves physically and emotionally, they are better able to be effective at their job.
What do I do when I practice self-care?
According to the Rocky Vista Health Centre in the US, there are 8 different types of self care practice, and alongside their definitions, you can find below some different examples of achieving that kind of care.
As you scroll through - choose 3 activities that you will practice between now and our next group coaching - and be ready to report back on the impact these practices had.
1. Physical Self-Care:
Amongst the 8 areas, your physical self-care is perhaps the most critical self-care because a lack in this area can affect all other self-care categories. This type of self-care is about taking care of your physical body because if you are ill all the time, you are not in a position to do any good to yourself or anyone else. So, part of this regime includes eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting a good amount of sleep every night to boost energy levels and contribute to the overall quality of your life.
You can ensure that you remain in good physical condition by:
● Eating a healthy and nourishing meal
● Moving your body daily, either by walking, running or working out, etc.
● Taking probiotics or multivitamins daily
● Drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up
● Getting between 7-9 hours of good sleep
● Sitting in the sun and soaking up vitamin D
● Spending time in nature
● Having a soothing hot bath or shower
2. Mental Self-Care:
Mental self-care involves your psychological and cognitive thinking and your mind’s ability to understand and process information and experience. Not only do mental self-care practices help to stimulate the mind and improve brain functionality but they also help you to develop a growth mindset. A proper and healthy mindset helps us process information more easily and in a non-distorted manner.
Mental self-care activities include:
● Learning a new skill or language
● Setting big intentional goals or mini personal ones
● Reading self-help or personal growth books
● Journaling
● Practicing gratitude
● Doing a social media detox
● Engaging in a game of chess
● Practicing positive thinking
3. Emotional Self-Care:
Emotional self-care involves your feelings and learning to understand yourself and your emotions better through emotional self-care allows you to truly love and accept yourself.
Emotions manage the expression of your feelings and ultimately your behaviour.
You can develop your emotional intelligence by:
● Setting healthy and clear boundaries to protect your energy
● Spending time by yourself with no distractions
● Journaling your feelings
● Speaking to a therapist
● Having a good cry
● Practicing self-love
● Writing down positive affirmations
● Asking for help.
4. Environmental Self-Care:
In order to truly thrive you need to be in the right environment whether that means inside a bustling coffee shop or in a tidy and quiet home office or any other place where you enjoy spending your time. So, make sure you create the right type of environment to work for you.
Remember, your environment should always motivate you rather than distract you or make you feel depressed. Keep your personal spaces organised and clutter-free and maintain your environment just as much as you take care of yourself.
Environmental self-care activities include:
● Making your bed every morning
● Traveling for a change of scenery
● Tidying and organizing your workspace
● Decluttering your wardrobe regularly
● Heading to a coffee shop to work
● Exploring somewhere new
● Listening to music
● Setting a calm mood in the evenings
5. Financial Self-Care:
If the words “personal finance” sends shivers down your spine, then you surely need this self-care. But cultivating a healthy relationship with money is essential for our mental health as it helps eliminate stress and anxiety from our lives. Financial self-care can also improve our positive mindset around money, so we feel more open to talking about it and feel less negative towards people who have lots of it!
Financial self-care activities include:
● Listening to financial or money-related news
● Investing in your future
● Setting financial goals for the year
● Using a money app to help you keep track of finances
● Saving money each month
● Dealing with debt head-on
● Writing down positive money affirmations
6. Social Self-Care:
Self-care doesn’t always have to be about spending time by yourself. Social self-care is your ability to build and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships with others. Social connections help us to feel loved and less alone but are also essential in developing and improving our communication skills. Reconnecting with old friends or simply building and maintaining healthy relationships with loved ones is a great way to maintain social self-care.
Social self-care activities include:
● Form new personal and professional relationships
● Stay connected to important people in your life
● Hanging out with a friend with zero distractions
● Messaging a friend to tell them why you are grateful for them
● Limiting time with negative people
● Reach out to support systems regularly
● Asking for help when needed
● Set healthy boundaries
● Ending relationships with toxic people
● Spend time with friends and family
● Building an engaged community online
● Writing letters to a friend
7. Recreational Self-Care:
Recreational self-care also means taking out time for fun! Recreational self-care encourages you to tap into your inner child by taking part in hobbies that don’t require too much brain power. It is all about enjoying moments that bring you joy.
Recreational self-care activities include:
● Going traveling by yourself or with others
● Having a pamper day
● Watching Netflix or classic movies (if you like them)
● Getting creative by painting, coloring, or doing a puzzle
● Spending time in nature
● Reading fiction, magazines, or comic books
● Playing board games or doing a puzzle
● Joining an in-person exercise class
8. Spiritual Self-Care:
It is when you can find hope and peace in challenging situations.
While the other areas of self-care are focused on nurturing your mind and body, spiritual self-care aims to nourish the soul. It is different for everyone. Spiritual self-care practices help you tap into your inner being so you can find a deeper purpose and more meaning in your life. This area of self-care can also allow you to silence the outside noise so you can find internal calm and peace.
Spiritual self-care activities include:
● Meditating or breathwork
● Spending time in nature
● Going to a place of worship
● Yoga
● Mapping out your core values
● Dedicating time to self-reflection
● Learning more about astrology
● Manifestation