Self Care Basics

What is self care?

The words “self care” seem to be everywhere these days. But what is self care really about? And what does it mean for you? Let’s talk about self care basics.

The dictionary defines self care as: “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health. The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.”

OK, so what do we do with that information?

Type self care into Google and you’ll find there is no shortage of advice on how to introduce self care into your life. But for someone just trying to improve their mental space, all this information can actually do more harm than good. There’s nothing like someone telling you this is REALLY important for your health and then handing you a list of thirty things to implement this week, on top of your already overbooked life.

Self care shouldn’t be complicated or overwhelming. It’s about being in touch with what you need in the present moment. And realizing that you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.

Let’s try something….

I propose an exercise for you to try right now. Turn off or silence all outside stimulus (TV, phone, computer, music etc), close your eyes for a moment and take 3 deep breaths…

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How do you feel? Maybe that was all that you needed, if so, great! But maybe one of the following options happened:

  • A need or a want came to mind
    • If it was something simple, like feeling thirsty, then grab a drink of water. However, if it was more complicated, then think about the first step towards fulfilling that need or want. Is that something you can do right now?
  • Your mind wandered off to some fun activity or a place of escape
    • This may indicate that you’re too stressed or that you’re missing fun in your life. In today’s society, these needs can be some of the hardest for us to fulfill. What helps me, is remembering being a kid. When the simplest things gave me joy, like getting a Slurpee from 7-eleven and I could easily double that joy by getting a swirly straw!
  • You had too many thoughts swirling in your head, that nothing seemed clear
    • Unfortunately, this is really common. With technology, family and work expectations; we are constantly being bombarded with pressure from outside sources. It can be difficult to hear your own needs with all the distractions.

So as you can see from the exercise above, there are multiple levels to our needs and therefore, multiple levels to self care.

So how can I practice self care?

I believe that self care starts with mindfulness. Now I know what you’re thinking, and I promise I’m not going down that rabbit hole and stressing you out with mindfulness too. The exercise you just tried, is a basic introduction to mindfulness and a good starting point to practicing self care.

Basically, all I’m suggesting is that you try to find little pieces of time for yourself in your every day, week or month. Where you can start to get in touch with your basic needs and branch out from there.

I feel it is also important to note that sometimes the most important self care is doing nothing and saying no. This is particularly important when you are dealing with mental health concerns (i.e. depression, anxiety, OCD etc).

Everyone’s idea and implementation of self care looks different and yours will vary day by day. Some days you might be able to spend time with friends, exercise and eat right. Other days, maybe the best you can do is get out of bed and remember to eat. Do the best that you can and let everything else go.

5 Self Care Ideas for Mind, Body & Soul

Mind

Mental/Emotional strength, health and progress

  1. Take a break from social media
  2. Go cloud watching
  3. Listen to your favorite song
  4. Write whatever comes to mind for 10 minutes (it doesn’t have to make sense)
  5. Spend time with a pet

Body

Diet, exercise and health

  1. Take a walk outside
  2. Drink a glass of water
  3. Dance to a fun song/playlist
  4. Take a 15-20 minute nap
  5. Stretch

Soul

Spiritual attributes and motivations

  1. Meditate
  2. Call a friend
  3. Take a bath
  4. Read a good book
  5. Watch the sunset/sunrise

What are your thoughts?

How do you practice self care? What do you struggle with the most? Do you think self care has become harder in the 21st century? Let me know in the comments below.