The Various Forms of Self-Care
This post was written by Agata Kopacz, M.A.
What is self-care? The first thing that comes to people’s minds when thinking about self-care involves:
- Spending a day at a spa
- Taking a day off from work
- Indulging in a favorite dessert
These, indeed, are some examples of self-care practices. However, it is important to remember that self-care practices involve activities and acts that address all areas of one’s life. Therefore, self-care practices are categorized into different types, which are specified below. The purpose of self-care practices is to help us maintain good physical and mental health and to improve our overall functioning.
Physical Self-Care involves taking care of your body. This includes maintaining a well-balanced diet, getting quality sleep, and engaging in physical activity. Nourishing our bodies can improve energy levels, mood, and overall health. Some of the examples of physical self-care practices include:
- Going for a walk
- Drinking plenty of water throughout the day
- Taking multivitamins
- Eating healthy foods
- Attending annual check-ups
- Taking multivitamins
- Engaging in physical exercise
Emotional Self-Care involves getting in touch with one’s emotions and taking care of these emotions. This can be accomplished through:
- Journaling about feelings
- Developing healthy coping strategies to manage stress
- Expressing gratitude
- Putting your needs first
- Allowing yourself to feel
- Understanding your emotional triggers
Mental Self-Care helps your mind to find some peace. Engaging in mental self-care can help use think clearer, which can be achieved through:
- Setting boundaries
- Practicing mindfulness
- Seeking therapy
- Engaging in self compassion
- Keeping a planner
Intellectual Self-Care involves expanding one’s knowledge and curiosity, and maintaining brain health to allow for further learning and problem-solving. Examples of intellectual self-care practices include:
- Reading a book
- Taking a new class or course
- Watching a documentary
- Playing games
- Doing puzzles
Spiritual Self-Care involves activities that allow for a deeper sense of meaning and allow for self-reflection. Spiritual self-care can be achieved through:
- Attending a religious service
- Practicing meditation
- Studying religious texts
- Yoga
Social Self-Care involves building and maintaining healthy relationships with others. These include:
- Calling or texting someone that you care about
- Visiting a relative
- Attending social gatherings
- Decreasing social media time
- Asking for help
- Joining a support group
- Going on a date with a significant other
Environmental Self-Care involves making the space around you more comfortable. Examples of environmental self-care include:
- Decluttering
- Rearranging your living space
- Gardening
- Organizing your closet
- Getting home repairs done
- Cleaning
- Decorating
- Cleaning your workspace