Do you know what self-care really is?

Before we even get into planning our self-care, we must understand what self-care even means and what it means to us.

Defining Self-Care

"Self-care is the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health and the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress"--Oxford Dictionary.

Well, yeah. But what does it mean to you? What does it look like?

For me, it's about taking care of myself, my mind, body, and soul, and being proactive about consistency and evolving as needed.

What about you?

Reflect

Open that journal, planner, or notes app and reflect on:

What does self-care mean to me?

Why is it important to me to know what it means to me?

Types of Self-Care

The International Self-Care Foundation came up with seven pillars of self-care, which you can see here. Many experts and organizations have expanded on their version of them, but I would like to focus on the following five:

• Physical Self-Care: Nourishing your body by taking vitamins, movement, and sleep hygiene. It's all about the body, inside and out.

• Emotional Self-Care: Practices that help you manage and express your emotions, like journaling, talking to a friend, or seeking therapy. This area also includes how your emotions impact others, boundaries, and more.

• Mindset/Mental Self-Care: Activities that provide fun or a challenge for the mindset and reduce stress, such as scrapbooking, solving puzzles, yoga, or meditation. I combine mindset and mental self-care because, at times, all we need to support our mental self-care is a mindset change. Activities like journalling, therapy, and affirmations are just some that can help.

• Social Self-Care: Spending time with people and engaging in social activities or events. This area also includes social boundaries, social norms, social causes, and anything that impacts you and others socially.

• Spiritual Self-Care: An inner peace with whatever path you feel guided to provide a sense of purpose and inner strength—activities like meditation, prayer, or time in nature can nurture this area of self-care.
  

Try this! Pick one and go for it!

Reflect

What type of self-care is your priority? If you already know, reflect on how you want that area of self-care to look in your life.

Activity

If you don't know what type of self-care is your priority, try the following activity:

In your preferred way of journaling, write a list of all the types of self-care, rank them, and then list why side them. Reflect on your priorities and then reflect on how you want that area of self-care to look in your life. Focus on one area to lay a better foundation and build up.

Benefits of Self-Care

Staying consistent in supporting your self-care does have its benefits.

It may reduce stress and support:

• Mental Health

• Physical Health
  

• Emotional Well-Being

One significant benefit is that supporting your self-care may:

• Increase Productivity: Focusing on your self-care in the short and long term may help you with overall productivity because you may be better rested to tackle that next task.

Reflect

Here's another reflection to add to your journal: How would I benefit from supporting my self-care?

Self-care is one key to a balanced life. It's not about being selfish; it's about taking care of yourself to be at your best for yourself and others. Take the time to reflect, as this will give you a solid foundation to build. You got this!

Let's connect!

I'm Janie, a Certified Self-Love and Self-Care Coach, here to support your self-care planning. Follow me on Instagram @healingselfcareplans for daily affirmations, tips, life updates, planning tools, and more.