What is self-care?

The concept of self-care has become very popular in modern culture and refers to the process of taking care of oneself. The World Health Organisation has defined it as the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote and maintain health, prevent disease, and cope with illness or disability, both with or without the support from a health provider.

Taking care of your physical, social, psychological, spiritual, and emotional well-being has numerous benefits. Just like running can improve your heart and lung health, engaging in a self-care routine is one of the best ways to strengthen your mental well-being. It can help you to build resilience and flexibility toward surprises and inconveniences that may pop up in life, manage stress, increase energy, cultivate better relationships, and grow your own self-worth.

The different dimensions of self-care

Self-care is individual to each person and contains multiple dimensions that are meant to boost your functionality and enhance your well-being. The purpose is to find something you enjoy doing that helps make you feel comfortable and at peace with the person that you are.

Physical self-care

Your body and mind are closely linked together, so much so that when you take care of your body, you feel more energized and your mind is much sharper and ready to perform its cognitive functions and other tasks in a much more efficient manner.

Physical self-care includes:

• Sleep - getting enough sleep at night or having a quick nap during the day is essential to restore balance and enhance performance
  

• Clean environment - the simple act of de-cluttering your work space or home and keeping them clean and tidy can allow for new energy to flow;
  

• Eating well – to keep up with all you have to do during your day, it is essential that you maintain a healthy, balanced diet to fuel your body and give you the energy you need.

Social self-care

Socialising and connecting with other people is an important facet of a balanced self-care routine. Try not to neglect your relationships. Maintain contact with your friends and loved ones, even though you may feel that you have too much going on. The social contact will act as a form of stress relief and will re-fuel your energy and offer you something else to think about and look forward to.

Ask yourself:

• Are you getting enough face-to-face contact with your loved ones?
  

• What could you do to nurture your relationships – consider if a friend is feeling down, or a loved one was just offered a promotion - what are some things you could you do for them to show you care?

Psychological self-care

Too much going through your mind? In order to maintain the neatest mental environment possible, engage in things that inspire and motivate you, promote growth and get you thinking about things that will better your mind and your life, such as reading books, watching documentaries, or learning about topics that are of interest to you.

Try not to engage in too much screen time (TV shows, playing games on your tablet, checking your phone every few minutes), as this will eventually drag your well-being down.

Mental self-care also refers to your judgement of yourself – are you self-accepting and compassionate or judgmental and harsh with yourself?

Ask yourself:

• Are you making enough time for activities that mentally stimulate you?

Spiritual self-care

Spiritual self-care refers to anything that helps you enrich your life, such as connecting with nature, the universe, your higher self, or engaging in religious practices. It is about cultivating practices that bring meaning and fulfilment to your life.

Things you could do:

• Yoga

• Meditation

• Praying

• Journaling

• Reading

Emotional self-care

Learning to deal with your emotions, especially the heavy or uncomfortable ones, is at the pinnacle of emotional self-care. Regardless of how you may be feeling, it is important to notice the emotion, name it, sit and experience the feelings that it brings up, and then let it go. Blocking an uncomfortable feeling will create many problems down the track, so learning how to process your emotions will enhance your well-being.

Ask yourself:

• Do you deal with your emotions in a healthy manner?

• Are there emotions that you’re trying to suppress or deny?

• Are you ready to analyse the messages your emotions are carrying?

• Are you willing to accept them wholeheartedly and deal with them?

 
Common self-care practices in a nut shell

• Regular exercise;

• Eating healthy, well-rounded meals;

• Fostering and maintaining healthy relationships;

• Getting good-quality sleep;

• Setting boundaries in relationships;

• Enjoying a relaxing activity – reading a book, meditation, taking a bath;

• Practicing gratitude;

• Staying connected to friends and family;

• Seeking professional help when you need it.

Ways to incorporate self-care practices into your daily routine

• Highlight 3 new activities that make you feel good and centered;
  

• Find ways to incorporate them into your daily routine – wake up 30 minutes earlier, substitute a TV show with another activity);
  

• Evaluate how you feel at the end of the week and make tweaks to the routine if need be.

Are you ready to give yourself some love?

No self-care plan is set in stone, and what may work for one person, may not work for another. Each person is different, but the ability to implement a routine of self-care starts with self-compassion and self-love.

Only you know what is needed in each of the areas of your life. You may want to focus on one area at a time, instead of tackling them all at once.

Your life situation is constantly changing, and you are continually evolving, so expect that your self-care preferences will shift accordingly as your self-awareness increases.

Don’t wait until you have time to implement a self-care routine. Start with the simple things first, then move on to other things that may require more time or effort. The little things you do will add up to big things as time passes, so make the effort to include these things into your daily routine. Remember, one of the best ways to discover yourself is to try new things and figure out what you like and don’t like, and what works for you and what doesn’t.

Start your online therapy journey

Our qualified psychotherapists can help you dig deeper into your feelings and help you implement a self-care routine that works for you. Start your online therapy journey by selecting the therapist that is right for you and reap the benefits.