Self Care Categories
Selfcare is a huge buzzword at the moment – we’re constantly being told that ‘self care is not selfish’ …so….how do we do it?!
There are 5 established areas of self care and we’ll have a look at each of them with some fab ideas and exercises to try out!
- Emotional
- Spiritual
- Physical
- Social
- Intellectual
Try and incorporate at least one from each category in your day – let us know what your self-care strategies are!
Emotional Self Care
Emotional self-care is really important as it allows us to honor our feelings which play a huge part in who we are and how we perceive the world. Emotions can guide how we behave and respond to people, situations, and events and we can use them to change our perceptions of a situation in any given moment.
Some lovely little self-care exercises can include:
- Tracking your mood by tuning in to your feelings – is there a corresponding physical sensation in your body when you feel a certain way.
- Listening to some uplifting music
- Make yourself a positive self-love jar
- Schedule regular breaks in your working day so you can take minutes just to breathe – we have loads of breathing exercises in our Just Breath guide!
- Repeat some self-love affirmations
Try to add at least one emotional self-care activity to your routine every day and notice the difference.
Physical Self-Care
Physical self-care is all about looking after your body and doing what you need to stay healthy. Ass well as exercise and healthy eating, it also includes resting when you need to!
- Eating healthily
- If your body is telling you that you need to rest – then rest! Naps aren’t just for toddlers
- Have a go at some morning yoga, or at least a few little stretches
- Go for a long walk
- Increase your daily water intake
- Take a fitness class
- Get plenty of fresh air
- Drink plenty of fluid
Intellectual Self Care
Exercising your mind, working towards goals and learning new skills is a great form of self-care as when we learn we grow, and when we grow we feel good. This can all help to find that happy balance in life, and fortunately, there are lots of ways to help!
- Watch an inspiring TED talk
- Take an online course
- Try learning a new language – even Spanish for tourists will help you grow!
- Sign up for a free Facebook Challenge – from manifesting to book-keeping there’s always something going on.
- If your usual book of choice is a gritty crime novel (guilty!) then maybe swap it out for a classic – Jane Austen or Charles Dickens – who knows where it might lead.
Spiritual Self-Care
As well as traditional meditation and prayer, spiritual self-care can be accomplished by simply doing things that make oyu heart sing and your soul smile.
The key is to do things that matter in your life and give you a sense of purpose, meaning and comfort.
- Meditate
- Walk in nature
- Practice gratitude
- Set your intention for the day when you wake up.
- Write down 5 things you love
- Practice gratitude
- Write in a journal
- Practice or join a yoga class
Social Self Care
Social self-care is all about learning to recharge by being social. We all need time on our own but this needs to be balanced with human contact! Getting together with friends or family and making it FUN is an essential part of a well-rounded life.
- Pay someone a compliment
- Join a book club (try our Happy Soul one!)
- Volunteer at something that is close to your heart
- Connect with an old friend
- Perform a random act of kindness
- Turn off social media and connect with people in the flesh instead for a day!
- Make friends with your neighbours
You’ve now got a little self-care toolkit to delve into whenever you feel the need!
Please feel free to download our little pdf guide which also has some lovely little ‘Self Care Bingo’ ideas in it!
Or come and say hello to our fabulous ladies in our little Happy Soul bookclub – if you love an inspiring, motivational and potentially life-changing book or just lovely mindfulness stuff !