“Self-care is non-negotiable. Show up for yourself every day!” – Jonathan Van Ness

Self-care is a powerful tool to create happiness and wellbeing in our life. Yet, we tend to neglect this vital practice due to our busy lives. Does it resonate with you? How many times over the past year were you able to take time to really focus on yourself? How many times have you cancelled a well-deserved “me time” to focus your time on something or someone else?

I have been there too. It’s not easy! We are always expected to do something at work or home that we forget our own wellbeing.

What is self-care? Self-care involves taking care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually to help you manage stress, increase happiness, and improve your relationships with others.

This is how I like to think about it: Self-care is taking care of yourself to be your best self. It’s like putting on your own oxygen mask before assisting others on a plane. So, you need to take care of yourself to care for others effectively.

Why is self-care important? Whether the concept is new to you or not, think about investing in your self-care because that’s the only way to nourish your soul and care for others.

Prioritizing yourself is not selfish at all. Instead, it will put you in a position where you can help someone else, whether it’s your team, boss, family or friends. How can you be there for anybody else if you’re not your best self? Catch my drift?

1. What are the benefits of Selfcare

In this fast-paced world, we can easily forget to take the time for ourselves. However, deciding to embark on the self-care journey will pay off, trust me. It’s beneficial to your mind and body.

I used to believe that self-care was a luxury. Something to indulge in when I had some free time or extra cash. I was far from the reality. Now I understand that it’s actually a critical aspect of our overall health and wellbeing.

If you are still not sure, know that taking care of yourself has many advantages, including:

• When you decide to care for yourself, thinking about your body will improve your physical health. Taking care of yourself by ensuring your body is healthy, nurtured, and fuelled adequately will boost your immune system and improve your physical health.

• Taking care of yourself allows you to reflect on your thoughts and feelings, giving you the space to process and work through them. So find activities to help you improve your mental health and stick to them. You will feel better in the long run.

• When you take time to replenish your mind and body through self-care, you can function more effectively. It leads you to increased productivity. And when you are productive, you feel more relaxed, recharged and focused.

• Self-care allows you to nurture your relationship with yourself. This will translate into healthier interactions with others through emotional intelligence. So remember to prioritize your own wellbeing to be better equipped to show up for those around us in a positive and supportive way.

2. How to practice self-care? 

As we know, most of us spend so much time running around, trying to meet deadlines and keeping up with the demands of everyday life. That’s part of life. Just remember to squeeze in some time for yourself.

How do you choose? Since there are many beings of you as a person, different types of self-care are available for you to explore. It’s all up to you! It depends on the part of you that you want to take care of.

You can consider combining the following dimensions:

Physical self-care

There are many physical self-care activities out there that you can choose from. We are talking about those actions taken to ensure your body is healthy and nurtured.

Habits you can incorporate in your physical self-care journey are countless. You can choose to:

Tip 1: Start a new bedtime routine to sleep better and wake up refreshed. This includes taking a warm bath, reading a book, or meditating before bed.

Tip 2: Include regular physical activities you enjoy doing yourself or with a friend in your daily routine, such as walking, running, a gym session, hiking, etc.

Mental self-care

This refers to taking steps in your daily routine to care for your cognitive abilities by engaging in activities that stimulate your mind.

You can choose to incorporate:

Tip 1: Include meditation in your routine to help you reduce stress. It will help you feel calm, balanced, and present in the moment. Other activities that can help you are yoga, tai-chi, and mindfulness.

Tip 2: Read a book as an escape from daily pressure to help reduce your stress level. Reading a book will enhance your knowledge, expands your vocabulary, and nurtures your creativity.

Tip 3: Try journaling as another way to take care of yourself. By writing down your thoughts and feelings, you can gain clarity and understanding about what’s going on in your life.

Emotional self-care

Emotional self-care is all about cultivating healthy relationships and finding ways to live in the present moment.

To take care of yourself emotionally and:

Tip 1: Engage in creative activities such as music, art, and dance to express yourself and feel joy and fulfilment.

Tip 2: Regularly build and nurture positive relationships by connecting with your loved ones. Check this article on how to cultivate emotional intelligence to strengthen your relationships.

Tip 3: Find or participate in a hobby or passion such as cooking, gardening, or playing an instrument. It will make you feel extremely happy.

Spiritual self-care

This self-care allows you to connect with something greater than yourself and find meaning in your life. To take care of yourself spiritually, you can:

Tip 1: Practice Gratitude by writing down three things you are grateful for each day to focus on what’s great in your life. Check out this article on how to become more positive.

Tip 2: Walk in nature, allowing you to spend time outdoors, grounding yourself in the beauty of nature as a way to connect with something greater than yourself.

Tip 3: Practice mindful reading by engaging in reading spiritual material or inspiring stories that uplift your mood and nurture your soul.

Tip 4: Practice compassion towards yourself and others, fostering a sense of interconnectedness and empathy.

The idea is to incorporate these self-care tips into your routine to feel more balanced, calm, and at peace. If you choose to practice self-care, you will feel more energized, connected with yourself, and emotionally strong enough to face daily challenges without feeling overwhelmed or overstressed.

Bottom Line

It’s essential to prioritize your wellbeing and invest time to focus on your self-care, whether that means taking a bubble bath, going for a walk in nature, or simply reading a book. Checkout this list with 15 self-care activities to boost your well-being.

Remember that taking time for YOU and practising self-care is essential for your overall wellbeing. Incorporating this practice in your life will add significant value to you in the long term.

So go ahead and take out some time to care for yourself today.