“We can do it” is a famous mantra for how we as Americans like to tackle things. With mantras like this self-care sounds like an unnecessary luxury. With everything going on in the world right now I hope you’re holding up ok, now is the BEST time to focus on self-care. There’s so much out of our control, but the one thing we can control is ourselves. If we work on our best selves we can work on our sense of balance, love, hope, positivity and light.
When you are on your game physically and emotionally dealing with the barriers of work and life becomes more doable, relationships are stronger boundaries are created and your resilience and emotional elasticity are rejuvenated.
There are five different types of self-care: physical, emotional, sensory, spiritual and professional care.
1. Physical self-care
While physical self-care can be anything from a Netflix binge to a day at the spa, there are many other activities you can do to enhance your overall physical well-being to contribute to better overall mental health.
2. Emotional self-care
Emotional self-care could be leaving your emotional baggae at the door when you get home or waking up with a new slate. Give yourself prmission to feel your emotions with little to no judgement schedule it if needed. Some activities in this area include finding things that make you laugh, complimenting yourself when you look in the mirror or spending time with loved ones.
3. Sensory self-care
Some activities in this area include,saying no to relieve stress, be curious for a day, practice receiving compliments well from others, and paying attention to your inner experience (thoughts, feelings, attitudes and so on). It may sound silly but even in 1 week you will feel a difference!
4. Spiritual self-care
Spiritual doesn’t have to refer to religion or believing in a sort of higher being . spiritual self-care is the act of getting in touch with your inner human spirit. Some examples of this include contributing to causes you care about (donating money or volunteering), meditating or spending time in nature.
5. Professional self-care
Professional self-care is crucial, like taking time to chat with coworkers/peers, decorating your workspace and balancing your workload
So what do you do when your running low on fuel? Utilize 1 of these 5 options to self-care, spiritual care, emotional care, physical, sensory care and professional care or mix and match. There is no wrong answer unless you are not practicing self-care. Now that you are recharged – Share the light!
Self-care is all encompassing, crucial and able to be in the moment or set in preparation for the future.
Pro-Tip; Planning future self-care: Organize your house, book some appointments you’ve been putting off, meal prep for the week. These little steps can really take the pressure off your future self and give you more space to relax and have fun.
With endless gratitude,
