The Five Areas Of Self-Care You Should Focus On
When self-care became popular all over the Internet a couple of years ago or so, people had the idea self-care was a kind of reward for doing something great like a bubble bath or any other kind of self-pampering. This isn’t what true self-care is about. Self-care is a routine of regular activities and practices we engage in to reduce and prevent stress in order to enhance our well-being and overall happiness and there are 5 main areas we should focus on. You can read all about self-care here.
Self-care is about finding something to do constantly that makes you feel comfortable, better, happy, healthy, and relaxed. Totally the opposite feelings you get from the pressure & stress of your daily to-do lists. It’s more than a matter of “treating yourself”, it’s a matter of health. Self-care is something everyone should practice regularly, not only just when we need extra tending to.
There are endless possibilities for your very own self-care practice, and in order for us to make a well-rounded approach, we can split self-care into five different categories.
The Importance of Self-Care
Self-care is an important part of living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Looking after yourself both mentally and physically is crucial to taking control of your health.
Nowadays we live a fast-paced lifestyle and it can be easy to forget to put yourself first, especially if you have multiple responsibilities and other people to care for. But looking after yourself will make you feel better, and eventually perform better in all areas of your life.
Self-care doesn’t have to involve a huge time commitment and it doesn’t have to be expensive. It could be taking a bath, relaxing with a good book, taking a walk outside, or eating your favorite food. It’s about making a commitment to putting yourself first every single day, even just for a while.
The Five Areas of Self-Care
I like to break down self-care into 5 areas, it helps me to stay more in touch with myself. If you do the same, you’ll find it easier to map out exactly what areas you need to focus on. Some will need more attention than others and some will change with the seasons as some practices tend to change, disappear or you’ll need to incorporate some new ones.
The three main areas to focus on the most when it comes to self-care are: mental, physical, and spiritual. But there are also two more that will make our routine more effective: the social and the emotional.
1 // Mental Self-Care
Is the desire to learn and expand our knowledge that contributes positively to our overall well-being. Mental self-care is about finding the balance between stimulating the mind and giving it a break. This leads to creativity, innovation, and continual learning.
Some examples of mental self-care:
- Reading a book or listening to an audiobook
- Listening to a podcast or music that makes you happy
- Practicing mindfulness
- Doing a media detox
- Doing mental cleanse
2 // Physical Self-Care
Physical self-care encompasses taking care of the body and its needs: safety, health, nutrition, movement, physical touch, and sexual needs. When you practice activities for your physical well-being, you can increase your energy levels and boost your self-esteem.
Examples of physical self-care:
- Trying a new workout
- Taking a bubble bath, filling the tub with a bath bomb and some Epsom salts, or simply a long shower
- Doing a mani-pedi
- Getting extra sleep
- Getting a facial
3 // Spiritual Self-Care
It is all about getting in touch with your values, your beliefs, and who you are. Dedicating time to this area can help you find more meaning in life, develop a sense of belonging, and find a connection to something greater than oneself. It doesn’t matter if you are religious or not, it’s important to make a connection with a higher being and make a spiritual connection somehow.
Some practices of spiritual self-care are:
- Meditating for some minutes
- Practicing gratitude
- Going on a nature walk
- Attending a religious service
- Doing yoga
4 // Social Self-Care
Even if you consider yourself an introvert, you have probably found that you NEED some social interaction every now and then. We all need to have a sense of belonging and to feel accepted by others which is why building relationships with family and friends is what this is all about. Social connection helps to create a sense of acceptance and it allows us to share a common bond with others.
Practice social self-care by:
- Taking a walk with friends
- Reaching out to a new person or a friend you haven’t spoken to or seen in a while
- Joining a class of whatever you like or want to learn
- Joining or starting a book club o cinema club
- Organizing a dinner with your family or your closest friends
5 // Emotional Self-Care
Emotional self-care can be the most difficult part for most. It involves recognizing and feeling the emotions that you’re experiencing. Recognizing your emotions and processing why you’re feeling what you’re feeling is the key to keeping our emotions at good levels because they enhance our overall health, we tend to know and understand ourselves better, we deal with challenges more effectively, we develop and nourish healthy relationships and develop a greater sense of compassion, kindness, and love.
Develop emotional self-care by:
- Journaling
- Saying no and learning when to say it
- Writing yourself a letter
- Crying
- Talking to someone
Putting It Into Practice
You’ve learned all about self-care and now it’s time to create your very own self-care routine. Remember, it doesn’t matter what your friend or your sister is doing for them, it’s all about you. This is your time for you and only you.
Self-care is not a “one size fits all” practice. You will need to customize your own self-care plan based on your needs. There is no prescription on how or when to do it, however, if you intentionally do something every day for yourself, that’s a start to a good habit.
If you manage to incorporate activities from each of the five areas into your life, you’ll eventually get better at self-care and master it.
Let me know in the comments below what do you think about the five dimensions of self-care? Share your plans for incorporating areas of self-care into your routine.
Also, see:
+ Everything You Need to Know About Self-Care
+ Mindfulness 101: Learn How to Bring Awareness Into Your Life