When we think about self care what does it really mean. Recently there has been a huge shift towards being selfish and not pouring from an empty cup. So it really is what it says, Self – Care: caring for one’s self. I got to thinking recently if this is something that is taught or something that comes naturally. So my conclusion is that it is not necessarily taught however you must learn and define how to care for one’s self in all aspects of your life.
Self care, I feel, is extremely important now more than ever as we are drowning in such a virtually fabricated space that we forget to honest about who we are, when we are. When we are sad, when we are happy, when we are excited. All of this. Allowing ourselves to feel is all an act of self care.
Now as most of us know. It’s very hard to be honest with ourselves. We literally fake a high percentage of our lives from posting our best looking picture, photoshopping our tummy’s (which I do), to always being pleasant in public. The fact that the majority of people are just winging it with life should call for some more of that ‘me’ time, for your own sanity.
What is Practicing Self Care
We must fully understand what each Dimensions of self-care is before we can implement them. Below is a list of the 7 dimensions of self-care.
Physical Self-care
This is all about taking care of your body, your vessel, your temple. It almost seems like a no brainer. You wake up and get on with your day and then when you are done you go to sleep right? Some times it is not as easy as that and it is important to stay on top of it. Physical self-care is about being mindful of what you eat, how much sleep you are getting and staying well hydrated. Tracking your water intake for example is a great way to stay on top of your hydration and trust me your insides will thank you for doing so. Looking good is one of my personal goals and even when I am doing the bare minimum of exercise I still want to look my best.
Mental Self-care
For me this is all about your sanity. Doing things that you hardly have to think about when doing them is what I would put in the mental self-care category. This keeps you mentally stimulated without making your brain foggy. I would suggest to try and deflect from any mentally draining work with listening to music, meditating, talking to some one, writing down your thoughts by journaling daily or even seeking therapy.
Emotional Self-care
Sometimes our emotions can get overwhelming. Theres a meme online which has a man screaming “Emotional damage” whilst reacting to something dramatic which would negatively change a persons emotions negatively. Negative emotions such as grief, heartbreak, anxiety, fear, sadness and anger can be over whelming as we tend to box these up and eventually explode. Some coping mechanisms are simply mindfully breathing, saying No to anything that disrupts your peace, meditating and taking time to yourself is a good place to start.
Intellectual Self-care
This is all about your inner self development referring to learning something. We must thrive to grow in all aspects of our lives. When we are in a state of repetition life seems to be meaningless as it is the same routine over and over again. Learning something new is an act of self care as it keeps you stimulated and thinking. An activity for intellectual self care could be reading a book, learning an instrument, learning how to do your hair. It’s almost like a problem solving exercise. You are mentally rewarded when you finish.
Spiritual Self-care
Our soul is to be nurtured. You do not have to be religious to practice spiritual self care. At the moment there is a rise in this subject as people are curious about their ‘Why’. Spiritual self care allows us to be more present pushing and breaking out of all the noise in our lives. This act of care acknowledges one’s beliefs and values, grounding us to be the best version of our inner selves. We can practice this by getting out to have an omnipresent experience in nature, thinking positively and Traveling to more tranquil spaces.
Social Self-care
Our connections to other people is very important. During the pandemic we saw how many were depressed due to not having much human interaction. We did not realise how important it was until we lost it. Planning to meet with friends for activities, socialising virtually on social media and setting boundaries is a great example of this. Having a great support system will also allow you to have a positive social self care routine as those people will check up on you as you should also return the favour.
Practical Self-care
This is all about doing. If you fail to plan you plan to fail. Write down your goals for the day make a schedule, clean up and declutter. It is easy to pile up junk in your physical space. Keeping it tidy helps.
5 Self Care Strategy tasks
You have to start somewhere right? The 5 self-care strategies below are easy to get you started.
- Mindful Breathing – This will help you be in sync with the present moment, Letting go of any fears and anxieties you may have. It will help you to focus on what is happening in the now.
- Exercise – Getting your heart pumping helps in getting your endorphins up (what makes you feel good). Exercise can be as simple as walking. Doing this little and often will contribute to your physical self-care.
- Talk to your friend – You will feel a sense of belonging and community when you reach out to your friends.
- Learn how to do a new hairstyle Learning a new style will help to feel brand new and confident as you can always rely on yourself to get glammed up.
- Have a lunch date – Solo dates are a thing to stay. Spoiling yourself with a lunch date or mini picnic at the park with a lovely view will allow you to get to know yourself again whilst enjoying your own company.
I am no expert and these are just my own personal observations on self-care. I would love to know what sort of self care routines you practice. Comment below and do not forget to subscribe for more content.
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