Self-care is vitally important to all aspects of your life. I am sure you feel like you are hearing this buzzword from every which way.
And I don't necessarily mean having a spa day, going on a shopping spree, or taking a luxurious vacation.
While those things are nice, it's also important to remember when to slow down, get rest, and truly take care of yourself.
One of my favorite instagram accounts is one called Make Daisy Chains. She is a mental health advocate from the UK who started the hashtag #boringselfcare. It includes all different types of things we typically do but don't always consider self-care, such as taking a shower, brushing your teeth, cooking nourishing meals, picking up and taking prescribed medications, and even opening your mail or making a difficult phone call. I really connect with this because it shows us that self-care doesn't have to be some huge, extravagant thing. There are some things that we do, or don't do, on a daily basis that are just as important to taking care of us and those big and extravagant things.
When we first think of this practice, most people automatically go to spa days, bubble baths, and shopping sprees to "treat yourself." While these are important, there are also other areas that need focus as well. There are five main types of self-care that include physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and professional.
1. Physical: This can include those wonderful days at the spa, doing at home facials, or taking a bubble bath. This can also be the simpler day to day tasks like taking our medications as prescribed, eating healthier, getting exercise, or even wearing your favorite article of clothing. These ongoing activities are essential to managing our daily stress levels and can feel relatively simple. We are probably doing some of them anyway and don't even count them as "self-care." But they definitely matter.
2. Emotional: This part of self-care can be a bit scarier and challenging. This is when we allow ourselves to feel our emotions, both good and bad, with no judgment or attempt to change them. Some activities in this category can include positive self-talk, allowing yourself to cry when you are feeling sad or angry, watching a funny movie, or spending time with supportive friends. Feel those feelings, all of them, lean in, and try not to fear them. You will notice that when you practice this more and more, the negative emotions feel less scary and the good emotions increase.
3. Psychological: In this category, we can practice small habits that tend to our psychological care. And yes, this includes going to therapy if it is available to you and you are ready for it! This also includes boundary setting and working on saying "No" to things that don't feel good or you don't want to do. For many of us, this can be extremely difficult. With practice, these skills can be some of the biggest ways to relieve stress. We can open up space and energy to engage in more fulfilling activities.
4. Spiritual: No matter who or what you believe in, or even if you don't believe in anything at all, this is more about getting in touch with your inner-self. You can do this through getting involved in a cause you feel passionate about with either volunteering time or donating money, getting outside into nature, doing guided meditations, or getting more involved in a religious or spiritual community. The important thing is doing something that feels best for you and aligns with your core values.
5. Professional: This can apply to both work and school. Activities in this category include talking to peers or coworkers, taking breaks, developing outside hobbies, and finding quiet time to get work done. When you find balance here, you will notice balance in other areas of your life as well.
The important thing with any type of self-care is finding what works for you, feels good, and aligns with your goals and values. It's also important to remember to assess that it's moving you in a positive direction. And don't be afraid to try new things. What may work now could change in the future. Studies have shown that it takes anywhere from 21 days to 1 month to develop a new habit. Just keep trying! Start with writing down things you enjoy doing now or have enjoyed in the past. Write down things you want to try. Pay attention to how these things make you feel both mentally and physically. Enjoy the journey of discovering and being curious about yourself and new activities.
What is your favorite way to practice self-care?
Leave a comment below, or email me at bepositivecoachingllc@gmail.com and tell me what you do to best take care of you! Your comment or message could be inspiration for a future blog! And I promise to respond to each message or comment!