What is Self-Care? Here’s Everything You Need to Know About
We often hear or see the word self-care. Either in our real life or in social media, this topic is all over the Internet, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook groups.
Lately, people seem to have taken a huge interest in self-care but sometimes they don’t know exactly what it is how it is beneficial, how to practice it, and most importantly why is important to make time for ourselves.
Self-care is still often overlooked due to our busy schedule and lifestyle. Every day we try to juggle work, family, school, house chores, errands, and so much more that by the end of the day we feel exhausted.
The thought of putting ourselves first, for even just a few minutes, goes to the bottom of the list, even if we have some time off. To most, it feels more like a chore rather than a necessity and that’s exactly the problem.
With all of this talk about self-care comes a lot of misconception. It’s important to make sure we actually understand the meaning of self-care and how to practice it because it’s more than just a bubble bath.
I’m going to fully explain the meaning of self-care, break down all of its areas (hint: there are five), and give some practical ideas to incorporate them into your new self-care regime.
The Definition of Self-Care
Let’s start with a quick and easy definition of self-care. According to Lexico by Oxford, it is:
The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.
Well, I have to disagree with this definition a little bit. Why should we have to wait for stressful periods to occur when we can prevent them in the first place?
That’s why I came up with another approach to the meaning:
Activities and practices we engage in regularly to reduce and prevent stress to enhance our well-being and overall happiness.
Did you notice the difference between these two definitions? The first one is to use it while having a stressful time, more like an instant fix for a big problem. The other one is something to do day by day so when these episodes come, they don’t affect us as much as they do now.
Types of Self-Care
I like to break down self-care into 5 areas because that way it helps me to stay more in touch with myself.
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.
This doesn’t mean you will always have to do all five areas at once. Instead, just focus on a couple a day. This way you’ll find it easier to map out exactly what areas you need to focus on.
Some of them will need more attention than others and some will change throughout the seasons as some practices tend to change, disappear or you’ll need to incorporate some new ones.
Remember The Number One Priority Is YOU
These are practices we need to schedule into our days often rather than just once in a while. We should start caring for ourselves right away, regularly.
Self-care is about finding something to constantly do that makes you feel comfortable, better, happy, healthy, and relaxed. Totally the opposite feeling you get from the pressure & stress of your daily to-do lists.
Putting ourselves first has to be our number one priority. And although our lives are crazy hectic enough, taking the time to care for ourselves is going to aid in the effectiveness of helping others.
If you aren’t making time for your own mental and physical health, how are you supposed to give your all to others? To your work, to your family and friends, to your loved ones? And most importantly to you?
Best Practices
It’s important to note that there are so many different ways to take care of yourself. Not everything works for everybody. It’s all about what resonates with you and what helps you to calm down your mind and your body. Don’t stress about trying different practices if they don’t make you feel better.
For example, you may like to do your nails so you give yourself a mani-pedi but perhaps your best friend isn’t into it and prefers to go for a long walk in nature because she loves the smell of wet grass and being surrounded by trees. As you can imagine, there are endless possibilities for making your own self-care practice.
Think about what you can start doing right now. Perhaps it’s reading a book chapter or taking a 30-minute walk with your friend in the park. You can experiment with sensory elements like scented candles while meditating or putting some drops of essential oils in your bed to help you get a night of better sleep.
Try mixing two practices into one. Just think about what you would find fun or relaxing and make a conscious effort to do more of it!
I hope by now you have a clear idea about self-care and what it really is. Remember to take time to you and only you on a daily basis.
Before you go, let me know in the comments below what do you think about self-care? Share your favorite self-care practices.
Also, see:
+ The Five Areas of Self-Care You Should Focus On
+ Mindfulness 101: Learn How to Bring Awareness Into Your Life
+ A Guide to Manifest Anything You Want