The lack of self-care is a growing concern.
In today’s age, many people feel as though they don’t have the time to look after themselves and suffer in silence.
We get overwhelmed by work and responsibilities and get sick from not taking care of ourselves.
So, what does self-care actually look like?
And why is it so important?
There is a rising worry about the absence of self-care.
If you don’t have the time to take care of yourself, you may be suffering in silence.
We get ill when we neglect our health because we are overworked and overloaded with obligations.
In other words, what does self-care actually looks like?
So what’s the big deal about it?
Thankfully, self-care is not difficult to understand or implement.
In fact, it typically consists of seven core components.
Let’s explore what they are!
Self-care
Self-care is maintaining a positive relationship with yourself.
Remember, it means treating yourself with kindness, understanding, and acceptance.
When you practice self-care, you’re honoring your mind and body, filling up your well to have something to offer others from a place of overflow rather than depletion.
For many, when it comes to self-care, there are many different ways to explain or define it.
I, on the other hand, see it as having seven components.
The word “self-care” refers to the practice of taking care of one’s physical, mental, emotional, practical, spiritual, professional, and social needs.
Some might call them the self-care pillar;
I call them components!
Tomato tomahto!
Here is where self-care comes into play; it is any practice that cares for oneself on a personal and external level;
The purpose of self-care is to promote the development of positive and healthy behaviors.
Self-care helps avoid any sickness and live a long and healthy lifestyle.
Many people assume that self-care equates to being selfish or narcissistic because it requires you to put yourself first.
I disagree; it is possible to put yourself first without causing harm and negatively impacting someone else.
Mental, physical, emotional, social, practical, professional, and spiritual aspects of self-care are all intertwined.
So it’s essential to keep all those aspects in balance, which implies that if you’re happy, those around you will be.
As before said, self-care refers to how you care for yourself and needs.
Seven areas of self-care
1. Physical self-care
Physical self-care is the act of caring for one’s physical well-being;
Example: taking care of your body through healthy eating habits, movement, and sleep.
There are many more reasons why physical self-care is essential.
For one, it can help improve our physical health by maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress, preventing disease, and promoting sleep.
Additionally, taking care of our physical selves can improve our emotional health by increasing feelings of happiness and well-being and reducing stress levels.
Finally, engaging in physical self-care activities on a regular basis can lead to increased productivity and creativity in all areas of our lives.
2. Emotional self-care
In order to maintain a healthy emotional state, you must take care of yourself.
Emotional self-care is taking care of one’s own emotions and feelings.
For emotional self-care to work, you must first recognize and accept your needs and feeling without suppressing them.
It’s OK to feel what you’re experiencing, but how you handle it is what matters.
If you don’t, you’ll soon collapse.
So yeah!!
Because your emotions influence your behavior, you must learn how to handle difficult situations; that’s emotional self-care.
It helps you get to know yourself on a deeper level.
3. Mental self-care
Mental self-care is caring for one’s thoughts and feelings;
Taking care of one’s mental and emotional well-being is similar because it shares symptoms with depression, anxiety, mood swings, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Organizing your thoughts is an excellent way to reduce stress and enhance your mental health when you have a mental illness.
Unfortunately, many experience mental illness differently and don’t know how to deal with it.
To learn how to cope with your thoughts, you must not control your environment but comprehend its surroundings.
4. Social self-care
Social self-care is caring for one’s relationships;
You can achieve a healthy mental and emotional state through social self-care.
Yes, all aspects of self-care are intertwined!
It is important to socialize to experience positive emotions such as appreciation and gratitude and make an effort to connect with and form relationships with those around us.
Engaging in social self-care activities may be a lifesaver when you feel down and depressed and want to isolate yourself.
Yet, when life throws us a curveball, it’s essential to surround ourselves with people who can help us stay grounded.
So, recharging is a good idea in any situation.
5. Spiritual self-care
Spiritual care is for your soul;
In our society, spiritual care is frequently overlooked as a type of self-care.
When we focus on our spiritual side, we connect with a deeper part of ourselves that can provide us with peace and guidance.
There are many countless ways to connect with your spiritual side, and you can do them in many ways.
Some people find solace in prayers, others in meditation, and still others in nature.
In the end, what matters is that you do what works for you.
Spending time on our spiritual side helps us find a better sense of well-being and contentment.
Did you know we develop a stronger relationship with a higher power by learning to trust our instincts and connecting with them?
Give it a try!
6. Professional self-care
Professional self-care is the practice of maintaining one’s well-being to be effective in their work.
It encompasses many different areas, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
There are many benefits to implementing professional self-care in the workplace.
It can lead to increased productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction.
In other words, every person who can feel good about themselves and their work is more likely to be engaged and invested in success.
7. Practical self-care
Practical care is a day-to-day routine;
A person’s surroundings are essential.
Stress and anxiety are caused by allowing your surroundings to control you.
You can manage what impacts you and what does not; to prevent future stress situations.
The best way to ensure that you’ll be ready for everything is to plan, organize, and help yourself.
It is known as creating a framework.
There really isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy for taking care of oneself.
It means something different to everyone.
What is important to you might not be necessary to someone else.
That’s OK!
Because, the key is to figure out what makes you happy and focus on those things.
It’s not that tough to apply the seven components of self-care.
To help yourself, all you have to do is give yourself a little self-love.
The following are some pointers to get started in implementing self-care into your life:
Get a notepad and a pen:
Then think about yourself, make a list, and answer the following questions.
- What are your priorities in life?
- What are the things that are important to you?
- What makes you happy?
- What are your goals, and how to get there?
To end, this post is to help you better understand self-care and inspire you to keep looking for information and resources on how to incorporate it into your daily routine.
Remember, self-care is an individualized process that looks different for everyone, so find what works best for you and go from there.
Resources for emotional and mental support
Resources for emotional support and well-being – Coronavirus COVID-19 Response (ca.gov)
Best Online Therapy Services in 2021 (verywellmind.com)
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We’ll be publishing more posts in the near future about different aspects of self-care, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, take care of yourself.
You deserve it.
Better care of yourself by Marta Sanchez is a site dedicated to inspiration, lifestyle, wellness, health, fitness, beauty, and traveling.
