Self-Care 101
What is self-care?
Self-care is anything we do to look after ourselves, makes us feel good, and helps to take care of our well-being. This can range from more basic physical self-care like eating, sleeping, and drinking, to more emotional self-care like practicing mindfulness or doing something special for yourself.
Why do we need self-care?
Practicing self-care helps us to look after our mental and physical wellbeing. Through prioritizing our needs and giving ourselves space to do the things that make us feel good, we can maintain a healthy wellbeing.
Sometimes people can feel selfish when they practice self-care, but it is important to remember that self-care is NOT selfish. Just like your phone needs to be plugged in and charged, we need self-care to help recharge ourselves to go about our daily lives. Without self-care we can start to feel drained, low, and even unwell, which is why it is something we need to prioritise and actively set aside time for.
What does self-care look like?
Self-care can look different for different people, there is no one-size-fits-all self-care routine. What some people might find relaxing, others could find really stressful. That’s why it is really important to work out what makes YOU feel good.
These are some questions you can ask yourself to start thinking about what self-care might work for you:
What makes you feel good?
What gives you energy?
What helps you to feel relaxed?
What helps you to clear your head?
It’s important to remember that self-care shouldn’t feel like a chore – it should be something that truly helps you to feel good.
Different types of self-care
There are lots of different types of wellbeing, and ways that we can care for ourselves. Four different types of wellbeing that are often talked about are:
Physical wellbeing – this is all about looking after our bodies and our physical health.
Mental and emotional wellbeing – this is to do with caring for our mind, our thoughts, and our feelings.
Social wellbeing – this is about our relationships with our friends, our families, and other important people around us.
Spiritual wellbeing – this is about looking after our soul, this can be related to lots of different things like identity, culture, religion, and values.
Self-care ideas
These are some different types of self-care that people use. Some of these might work for you, and some might not, but trying out different types of self-care can be a fun way to work out what works for us.
Doing a digital detox
Getting enough sleep
Going outside
Resting when you need to
Relaxing
Getting creative
Spending time with friends and family
Setting healthy boundaries
Want to learn more about self-care? Check out these helpful links:
