Blog Well-being
By Allaya Cooks-Campbell
June 11, 2021 - 21 min read
Jump to section What exactly are self-care practices? The importance of self-care for your mental health and well-being How can you practice self-care every day? How to start a self-care routine 50+ self-care practices for your mind, body, and soul that fit into any schedule Investments for the long-term (and today) If you’re busy (and who isn’t?) slowing down to take care of yourself may seem like a waste of time. But self-care practices can have a powerful impact on your mental, physical, and emotional health. Self-care is often misunderstood. It is cast as a “nice to have,” somehow a “woman thing,” or a luxury, like a spa treatment. But self-care practices are any actions you take to improve your mental, physical, or emotional well-being. Everybody needs them to function at their best. Simply put, self-care practices are intentional steps to take care of yourself. Self care practices put deposits into your wellness “bank account.” Consistent deposits give you more internal resources to draw upon during stressful times. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” Self-care looks different for everyone. Some people thrive on social connections while others need lots of alone time. Some people love a vigorous workout, and others would rather a slow, mindful yoga class. There are those who find cleaning therapeutic, and others who find it draining. Your self-care practices, then, will look different than everyone else’s. So how do you figure out what works for you? You can start by asking yourself these questions: Self-care is critical to your mental health. When we feel stressed, the body’s alarm bells — known as the sympathetic nervous system — go off. They send a message to the brain letting it know that you’ll need more energy to either fight or flee. Unfortunately, when constantly triggered by low-level chronic stress, it becomes difficult to relax. Stress puts people at higher risk of developing depression, anxiety, heart disease, and other health issues. That’s because when under stress, our bodies divert important resources to dealing with the threat. That means that we have less available for other processes, like healing and sleep. Fortunately, when we practice self-care, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This allows us to relax and counteract the effects of long-term stress. Besides moderating the stress response, self-care practices can reduce inflammation. Self-care is linked to better health, helps develop mental fitness, and makes instances of physical and mental illness easier to cope with. Despite “self-care” being the most-searched term of 2020, taking care of yourself isn’t a trend or something you can dabble in. For the biggest impact, you should make self-care a daily practice. The National Wellness Institute identifies six primary dimensions of wellness. They are mental, physical, emotional, occupational, social, and spiritual. Ideally, you can do something to promote wellness in each of these areas every day. Of course, there are times when you may need to focus on one area over the others. For example, if you’re under the weather, it makes sense to focus on your physical wellness and skip a coffee date with a friend (social). If you’re short on time, the idea of tackling several different areas of wellness all at once may seem daunting. The trick to creating a self care practice that you’ll stick with is self-awareness and creating a routine that works for you. Many people have started — and stopped — one-self care practice or another. But we all also have things that we wouldn’t dream of missing. Grab your planner and follow the following steps: You don’t need huge, uninterrupted blocks of “me-time” in your schedule to cultivate self-care. Don’t let being “busy” stop you from making time for yourself! Here’s a list of over 50 self-care ideas that take anywhere from a whole day to just one minute to practice: Making a regular habit of self-care has payoffs in the near- and long-term. Today, you will feel better, have more energy and optimism, and be a better colleague, parent, and friend. For the long-haul, a regular habit of valuing yourself and showing that value by taking care of yourself will help you have the endurance and resilience to keep learning, adapting, and persevering over a lifetime. Start trying out some of these self-care tips. It’s less important what self-care practices you do than that you start learning how to take care of yourself.What exactly are self-care practices?
The importance of self-care for your mental health and well-being
How can you practice self-care every day?
How to start a self-care routine
50+ self-care practices for your mind, body, and soul that fit into any schedule
One minute or less:
Five to 10 minutes:
15 to 20 minutes:
One to two hours:
Half a day:
All day:
Investments for the long-term (and today)
Understand Yourself Better: Big 5 Personality Test
Understand Yourself Better: Big 5 Personality Test
Well-being
Published June 11, 2021
Allaya Cooks-Campbell
With over 15 years of content experience, Allaya Cooks Campbell has written for outlets such as ScaryMommy, HRzone, and HuffPost. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and is a certified yoga instructor as well as a certified Integrative Wellness & Life Coach. Allaya is passionate about whole-person wellness, yoga, and mental health.
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