What Self-Care Means

Self-care at its most basic means taking time to do activities that improve your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

The goal of self-care is to invest in your well-being. While this can feel self-indulgent, good self-care habits help you enjoy life and care better for those around you. It’s a win-win for everyone.

How self-care evolved

The idea of self-care is not new. Throughout human history, people have always spent time caring for their physical needs. Finding food and shelter and preventing illness are fundamental forms of self-care.

However, more recently, self-care has expanded to include more than just physical health. The pressures of modern society and our expanding scientific understanding of how humans work demonstrate the need for self-care that provides for every aspect of being.

Investing time in your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health is true self-care.

Physical self-care

Physical self-care includes habits that keep you healthy and strong throughout your whole life. These include:

*  Eat healthy, regular meals.

*  Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.

*  Get at least 30 minutes of movement each day.

*  Make 7-9 hours of sleep a priority.

*  Get regular physicals and health screenings.

Mental self-care

Mental self-care means caring for your mental health by managing stress and improving resiliency. Examples are:

*  Engage in relaxing activities.

*  Listen to calming music or sounds.

*  Take mental health/vacation days to unplug from work.

*  Schedule time for yourself to do something you enjoy.

*  Seek professional help to manage chronic stress.

Emotional self-care

Emotional self-care goes hand-in-hand with mental self-care but is focused on acknowledging and expressing how you feel. It can include:

*  Acknowledge and express your feelings in healthy ways.

*  Connect with supportive friends and family.

*  Take a break from the news or social media.

*  Keep a gratitude journal.

*  Do a creative activity.

Spiritual self-care

Spiritual self-care means recognizing you are not the center of the universe and investing in connection with the world around you:

*  Spend time in nature.

*  Connect with a faith community.

*  Pray or meditate.

*  Volunteer for a cause you care about.

*  Read inspirational literature.