7 Pillars Of Self-Care

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Self-care is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.

I’ve once discussed my take on what self-care is, but today we shall dig a little deeper into that aspect.

I’m assertive that when asked to different groups of people, the answers will vary. The definition of self-care can be, and most definitely will be disparate for each and every individual.

Self-care is multifaceted-it’s essential to practice self-care in multiple areas of your life for a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle!

Here are 7 pillars of self-care that should be paid attention to in your day-to-day life:

1. Mental — Mental self-care is a foundation of a healthy mindset and is all about growing your skills and knowledge, reducing stress, and enhancing your creativity.

This week, try these mental health self-care ideas:

Writing in a journal
Meditating
Taking a break from technology & internet
Engaging your brain in a new way.

2. Emotional — Emotional self-care means looking out for your heart/mind and being easy on yourself. Use self-compassion and learn how to handle better any challenges you might face and create healthy emotional responses.

This week, try these emotional self-care ideas:

Write down positive affirmations
Setting boundaries for your time & energy
Asking others for help when you need it

3. Physical — Physical self-care involves taking care of your physical health, which in turn increases your self-esteem. Fill your body with nutritious foods, exercise consistently, get proper sleep, and practice good hygiene.

This week, try these physical self-care ideas:

Drinking more water
Trying a new workout class/YouTube video
Getting the sleep you need
Eating regular meals

4. Spiritual — Spiritual self-care means taking part in activities and practices that can give you a sense of direction or purpose. This can help you find more meaning in life and a feeling of being grounded.

This week, try these spiritual self-care ideas:

Identify your values & what is meaning to your being
Connect to a higher power
Spending time with nature

5. Environmental — Environmental self-care means caring for the space you live and work in. This can be very beneficial in you feeling relaxed and able to thrive in the space around you.

This week, try these environmental self-care ideas:

Decluttering your living space
Take a walk in nature
Re-arranging your workspace to feel more comfortable

6. Social — Social self-care involves connecting with your friends and family and nurturing healthy relationships. This helps you create a sense of acceptance and belonging.

This week, try these social self-care ideas:

Spending time with your loved ones
Calling your family or relatives if they’re not close by
Join a support group or find a community to contribute to

7. Recreational — Recreational self-care involves doing your favorite hobbies and experiencing new things. This helps you escape the challenges in life and be able to enjoy the little things in life.

This week, try these recreational self-care ideas:

Take time to be creative and do your fun hobbies
Change up your daily routine
Find a new hobby to try
Go on an adventure with your friends or by yourself

True self-care isn’t doing a face mask and eating pizzas but it’s building a life you don’t have to regularly escape from and that often takes the last thing you want to do. Self-care is becoming the person you know you want and are meant to be. Someone with true self-care knows that face masks and pizzas are ways to enjoy life and not escape from it.

Self-care is figuring out a way to accept yourself for who you are and how you are without having to take intentional breaks like doing face masks and calling it your ‘self-care time’.

A world in which self-care is such a trendy topic and is shown as beautiful and lavish instead of showing the struggle that it requires is a world that needs to change. It is not easy but extremely difficult to take care of yourself. It requires a great amount of effort. It is ugly and demotivating, but definitely worth it.

Let’s connect on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, I’d love to know my audience more and build a community 🙂