We all know self-care plays an important part in ensuring we’re at the top of our health and wellness game. It’s the key to preventing burnout, feeling balanced, and leading a fulfilling, purposeful, and productive life. And it’s even more important to prioritize as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
But did you know there are actually 7 types of self-care you should embrace to feel your best in all areas of your life? The seven types of self-care are:
Emotional self-care
Physical self-care
Mental self-care
Social self-care
Spiritual self-care
Practical self-care
Professional self-care
Read on to learn how you can tend to each area so you can dial in your self-care like a pro and keep your health and wellness at the forefront to always show up as your healthiest self for your family and clients.
Emotional Self-Care
Our ability to regulate our emotions and cope with difficult feelings as they arise is vital to our happiness and overall quality of life. That’s why emotional self-care—the actions we take to connect with our emotions and process them in a healthy way—is SO important.
A few examples of self-care activities to address your emotional needs include:
Journaling
Talking to a Health Coach, Life Coach, therapist, spiritual mentor, or other counselor
Utilizing affirmations or mantras
Meditation
Practicing gratitude
While everyone can benefit from investing time and attention in this critical area of self-care, people who will find this particularly beneficial are those who:
Have difficulty controlling their emotions
Are easily affected by others’ negative moods
Struggle to cope with feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, jealousy, anger, and/or feelings of unworthiness
The best way to start tending to your emotional health is to first pay attention to the way you speak to yourself. Noticing if you’re engaging in negative self-talk is an important preliminary step toward breaking an unhealthy habit. The second step is to replace that negative self-talk with words that are loving and kind. Learn more about how you can leverage the power of positive thinking to squash negative self-talk.
By regularly engaging in emotional self-care and learning to give yourself grace, you can develop healthy coping mechanisms that vastly increase your happiness and sense of well-being.
Physical Self-Care
Physical self-care is probably what many of us typically think of when we hear the words self-care. This type of self-care refers to any activities you deliberately engage in to enhance your physical well-being.
A few examples include:
Being active (going for a walk, a bike ride, taking a fitness class, etc.)
Taking a relaxing bubble bath
Dancing to your favorite song
Getting a massage
Taking a nap
So give some thought to what types of physical activities make you feel calm, balanced, and happy, and schedule regular time to do them.
Mental Self-Care
Mental self-care encompasses anything you do specifically to stimulate your mind and cultivate a healthy psyche.
Some activities that fit under the mental self-care umbrella include:
Listening to a podcast
Trying a new hobby
Going to a museum
Reading a book
Writing a poem
Social Self-Care
Humans are social beings, which means we need regular connection with others to thrive (yes, even us introverts!). That’s why prioritizing social self-care—or activities that nurture our relationships with others—is critical.
The problem is, oftentimes when our lives get hectic and overwhelming (and we’d most benefit from facetime with others), we tend to cancel our plans and withdraw. While of course we all need to just say “no” sometimes, it’s also extremely important to make time for social interaction. Think of how good you feel after a good heart-to-heart with someone close to you.
A few examples of social self-care activities include:
Scheduling a regular phone touch-base with your mom
Hosting a game night with your friends
Going on a date with your significant other
Cuddling with a furry friend
Writing a card and mailing it to a loved one
Along the same lines, give some thought to which relationships are no longer serving you in your life. If there’s anyone you find draining to be around (a friend or family member), it may be time to part ways. Your relationships should uplift and fulfill you, not deflate and drain you.
Spiritual Self-Care
Don’t let the name of this one fool you. This form of self-care applies to everyone—religious, atheist, agnostic, or otherwise. Spiritual self-care encompasses any activities you engage in to connect with and nurture your soul. This practice is fundamentally about connecting with your inner spirit, which for some may include activities that honor a belief in a higher power (God, the universe, or whatever floats your boat), but may look entirely different for others.
Some examples of spiritual self-care include:
Spending time in nature
Engaging in prayer or attending a worship service
Doing yoga
Volunteering for a cause you care about
Creating a vision board or doing something else that lights you up and inspires you
We’re all unique beings so you do you!
Practical Self-Care
Yes, even mundane, everyday activities can be considered self-care. Any actions you take to fulfill your core needs and reduce stress can be catalogued as practical self-care.
Examples of practical self-care might include:
Organizing your email inbox
Tidying your living space
Meeting with a financial advisor
Setting out your clothes for the week in advance
Meal prepping
These forms of self-care are admittedly less exciting than some of the others, but not to be underestimated. They can be huge sanity-savers and help create a greater sense of calm and control in our busy lives.
Professional Self-Care
Last but not least, if you’re employed, it’s essential to make time for professional self-care. These are the activities and actions that support feeling balanced and fulfilled in your career.
Professional self-care examples include:
Setting a calendar reminder to take a lunch break
Spending time with coworkers after hours
Setting your phone to Do Not Disturb at the end of your work day
Taking courses, attending conferences, or working with a mentor to develop your skills and support your desired career path
Taking a mental health (or sick) day when you need it
Establishing a Self-Care Routine That Works For You
Contrary to popular belief, self-care doesn’t have to take tons of time or cost lots of money to be beneficial.
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