What is self care?
Self care is a popular buzz word, but not that many people truly understand its definition. Self care is anything that furthers your well being. It can be self indulgence, but most importantly, it’s a wide range of ways that you’re taking care of your mind, body and soul, inside and out.
We all have stress to deal with, but the key is recognizing that stress before it overwhelms you. Self care helps you cope with that stress in soothing ways that can also be rejuvenating. Self care looks different for everybody, but it’s a necessary aspect for all.
Self care isn’t all candlelit baths and face masks, although those can definitely be effective ways to indulge. It involves being honest with yourself, and making decisions that can be tough to make.
Utilize these self care ideas so that you can gradually begin to assimilate a self care plan. This new level of mindfulness will allow you to live the happiest version of your life possible, and that’s the end goal for all of us, isn’t it?
Types of self care:
Mental: Mental self care involves integrating coping mechanisms and utilizing self-awareness in your own life. It can involve vulnerable moments like leaning on your support network
Spiritual: We don’t necessarily mean religion here, although that can be a wonderful tool in terms of self-care. Whether you’re into crystals or astrology, Spiritual self care is just that elusive way for you to nourish your soul. It can include setting values and intentions, meaningful, daily rituals, or anything else that creates a larger meaning in your life.
Physical: Drink more water – many of the negative things you feel are due to dehydration. Keep up with personal hygiene – a simple change of clothes and hair wash has more power thank you think and puts you in control. Working out is also a form of self care to help boost endorphins and keep you feeling your best, inside and out.
Social: Having a community that uplifts you during the good, the bad, and the ugly is a huge part of self care. Other examples of social self care include learning when to eliminate toxic relationships, figuring out how to establish boundaries, and knowing to recognize between healthy and unhealthy bonds. While social self care is the ability to ask for help, it is also the ability to say no. It’s easy for us to develop fear of FOMO or fear of missing out, but it’s a must to understand the important of when you need to sit back and allow for some true R&R.
Self care tips
Maintain balance in your personal and professional life. Whether you’re being depleted socially by going out too much or going into workaholic mode, balance is what allow you to recharge your battery.
Cook more, and eat takeout less. You’ll feel a tiny victory in every meal you make, and it’s much healthy than ordering pizza twice a week. This activity feeds your soul and body, while making you amazing wifey material.
Make your bed every day. Instead of giving you chore PTSD, this small action will give you a sense of accomplishment and organization, putting you in control of your day from the very start.
Write down your feelings in a journal. Wiring things down can help you process things better and stops you from internalizing problems. Apart from being a cathartic activity, you can then look back and reflect on these thoughts, addressing negative thought patterns or behaviours.
Practice acts of self love. Create a daily mantra that amps up your confidence. Make a list of everything that you love about yourself. If you need some help being reminded of why you’re so great, your BFFs or family will be able to help you out.
Learn to own your mistakes and forgive your past self. This is the only way to move forwards and is essential to the process of self-love, which goes hand in hand with taking care of yourself. Now that’s a self care plan we can get behind.
Self care ideas
Try breathing exercises or meditation. This self care activity combat stress and anxiety on a deeper level, while a glass of wine just momentarily wipes away your pain. That being said, wine is definitely still a form of self care.
Take aromatherapy baths. Whether you’re looking to be relaxed (lavender) or rejuvenated (eucalyptus), curling up with some candles, the right essential oil and your favorite playlist can work wonders after a long day.
Read books. This is a healthy form of escapism that’s much more soul nourishing than your everyday Real Housewives episode binge.
If reading seems too big of a jump for your exhausted mind, try coloring books as a self care focused activity. Even the least artistic can draw within the lines while they clear their mind.
Spend more time in nature. It’s healing for a range of problems. Whether you prefer to immerse yourself in a forest or spend time by water, this is a great way to re-ground yourself and connect to the things around you while getting off that phone.
While you’re in that forest, make sure your phone is on airplane mode or off. Scrolling through a constant feed of judgement and comparison can make us feel bummed out. Going offline can help us re-focus on our lives and practice more gratitude.
