Self-care is one of the most talked-about concepts in wellness circles, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. As you scroll through social media, you probably see things like bubble baths and expensive skincare routines labelled as self-care. Though these activities and products certainly have their place in wellness, social media doesn’t tell the full story.
The truth is that self-care is rarely easy. In fact, it’s hard work to show up for yourself and your holistic needs every single day. Well, that’s what we’re here to help with. Below, we reveal what self-care actually is and how you can implement it into your life for a balanced approach to wellness.
What Self-Care Really Means
Self-care is essentially anything that helps you become the best version of yourself. When you are at your best, you can feel at home in your skin and cultivate a healthy, happy life that serves you and everyone around you.
Self-care is founded on doing good things for yourself, but it’s not a selfish ideology. Real self-care includes activities that genuinely restore and energize you, the effects of which ripple positively outward into every aspect of your life. Self-care could be a bubble bath one night and an honest conversation with a friend on another night.
Authentic self-care might not always feel good in the moment, but it supports your long-term health and happiness. It’s about building a life you don’t need to escape from.
The Six Types of Self-Care
Real self-care involves every single aspect of your life, and this is an understandably overwhelming concept. Below, we examine just six main categories that you can focus on to nurture your holistic wellness.
Physical Self-Care
This is about taking care of your body. It includes the basics: getting enough sleep, eating nutritious food, staying hydrated, and exercising. It also entails medical care. Schedule those annual wellness checks, visit the doctor when something feels wrong, stay on top of your medications, and so forth. Even something as simple as knowing when to replace your readers is an important part of addressing all of your body’s needs.
Mental Self-Care
Mental self-care involves activities that stimulate your brain and help you think clearly. Reading, learning something new, doing puzzles, and engaging in creative activities are all good examples.
It also means being mindful of what media you consume. Limit negative channels and unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself or the world.
Emotional Self-Care
This type of self-care focuses on processing and managing your emotions in healthy ways. It might involve journaling, talking to a therapist, or simply giving yourself permission to feel what you’re feeling without judgment.
Emotional self-care also includes setting boundaries with people who drain your energy and instead surrounding yourself with supportive relationships. Sometimes, it means saying no to commitments that don’t align with your values or current capacity.
Social Self-Care
Social self-care entails nurturing the connections that matter to you and creating space for meaningful interactions. Essentially, take time for the people in your life. Not only does this make your friends and family feel loved, but it also improves your self-image by creating a safe space for conversation and improvement.
As we said, you don’t need to say yes to everything—sometimes, you need space and time to recharge. However, show up for people as much as you can. In doing so, you will strengthen the bonds in your life and help yourself feel more stable, integrated, and supported.
Financial Self-Care
Financial self-care is all about managing your money wisely. When you feel economically stable, you will feel freer, calmer, and more empowered in life. So do what you can to set yourself up for financial success. Open a high-yield savings account, invest in a 401(k), open and invest in a ROTH or regular IRA, and spend your money responsibly. When you do buy things for fun, make sure they genuinely feed into your happiness.
Spiritual Self-Care
Spiritual self-care looks different for everyone. If you’re religious, then this category could entail reading sacred texts, praying, attending services, and so forth. If you’re not religious, then you might simply strengthen your connection to the present through meditation. This practice can be as spiritual or practical as you make it. Regardless, meditation is a great way to ground yourself and feel at peace with your place in the bigger picture.
How To Establish Your Self-Care Routine
Now that you know what self-care actually is, you can begin taking a more balanced approach to wellness by integrating holistic self-care acts into your everyday life. Below, we cover the main steps to take.
Start With the Basics
A daily journaling habit won’t do you much good if you’re always exhausted, hungry, and dehydrated. You must start with your basic needs (eating, hydrating, sleeping, and exercising enough) before you build out into other areas of wellness. The effects of these basics are compounding.
Identify What Actually Works for You
Some people run marathons and meal prep every week, while others satisfy their needs with walks around the block and a creative hobby. Don’t feel like you need to adopt every single healthy habit out there. Instead, pay attention to what genuinely makes you feel better, and stick to that.
Make It Realistic
Your self-care routine should fit into your actual life, not some idealized version of it. If you’re a busy parent, your self-care will look different from someone who lives alone. If you’re dealing with chronic illness, your routine should accommodate your energy levels.
The goal isn’t perfection; it’s progress, and progress can’t happen if you’re unable to meet the demands you’ve set for yourself.
Wrapping Up
True self-care will help you create a sustainable way of life that supports your well-being in all its forms. By investing in your physical, emotional, mental, social, financial, and spiritual health, you can become the best version of yourself and send the benefits of that development out into the world.
If you’re ready to improve your well-being, start small today. Cover your basic needs and work from there to establish routines and hobbies that reenergize your mind and body. You deserve to feel good in your own life, and small, consistent acts of self-care can help you get there.
Eric S Burdon
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