By Ana
Article posted with permission from Ana
The idea of self-care isn’t new. But thanks to the growing popularity of social media and video content consumption, it feels like our collective understanding of what self-care is and isn’t has become more and more warped – with people minimizing self-care to doing activities that often require you to spend a lot of money.
But is there more to self-care than just taking a bubble bath and celebrating wins in life?
And why is it important?
In this blog we’re going to dive into what self-care is, why it matters, and we’ll even briefly discuss different forms of self-care so you can start to better understand how multi dimensional self-care can be.
WHAT IS SELF CARE?
Let’s be real, taking a bubble bath, seeing your bath bomb fizz, it all feels nice. But we don’t all have bathtubs and an unlimited amount of water. And besides, there are other alternatives to practicing self-care that are more cost effective.
Self-care as defined by the World Health Organization is “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote their own health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker.”
In other words, self-care involves the active practice of identifying and taking care of your needs in order to promote and preserve your personal health and wellbeing.
It can be something you do by yourself, or with the support of a professional, family, friends, and others.
Self care can also include things scheduling an appointment with your health care provider to discuss your health; saying no to people pleasing; and scheduling time to talk to a financial advisor, or spend some alone time.
WHAT ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SELF CARE?
Just as there are many dimensions of wellness, there are also many different forms of self-care that you can engage in. I’ve mentioned some self care activities above, but here are more general categories or “different pillars” of self care and examples.
- Emotional – ex. Processing your emotions with or without professional support
- Practical – ex. Cleaning up your work space
- Physical – ex. Eating healthy meals regularly
- Mental – ex. Engaging in activities that encourage you to think critically
- Social – ex. Finding time to talk 1:1 with close ones
- Financial – ex. Setting personal financial goals
- Spiritual – ex. Engaging in meditation or prayer
- Professional – ex. Doing a course that’s related to your professional interests
- Intellectual – ex. Challenging yourself to read more
Looking for more Self Care Ideas?
I’ve got you covered! Read this blog for 20+ great ways to practice self-care.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED TO ENGAGE IN SELF CARE?
Ever heard the saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup”?
That’s because in order to work well with others around you, or do anything in life and succeed at it, you need to take care of your needs – mental, emotional, social, financial, etc.
Everyone should engage in self care regularly. And you don’t have to wait until you feel overwhelmed or stressed to get started.
Rather, incorporating regular self care should be something we all do before we’re stressed as it can help prevent and mitigate things like burnout, overwhelm and stress.
If you’re having trouble identifying what kind of self care practices you should incorporate into your daily life, you can ask yourself these question:
- What do I enjoy?
- What soothes or replenishes me? (what doesn’t?)
- What is important for my health and wellbeing?
- Can I do this alone or do I need a little more support ?
- What do I need in this moment?
- What’s one small thing that I can do today that’s going to make my life a little more stress free or enjoyable in the future?
WHY IS SELF CARE IMPORTANT?
While sweeping a little bit of stress under the rug from time to time can be okay in the short term, neglecting your needs can have numerous negative repercussions on your health and overall quality of life.
Studies show that engaging in self-care practices can boost physical health, emotional health, and stress management.
In a study conducted in 2018, researchers found that medical students who engaged in self-care activities experienced less stress, better mental and better quality of life compared to those who didn’t.
All of which to say, practicing self care can help you live a longer, better life in the long run.
And no, you don’t have to have an intricate list of self care activities. Just pick one thing that you’d like to do better for yourself, your health and your wellbeing, and start today.
If you haven’t yet, check out this blog for 20+ great ways to practice self-care.