Forms of Self Care
By: Shaleta Lathon
June 27th, 2022
Self-care has become a trending topic today. If you are active on Tik-Tok or any other social media platform you will see influencers posting video content enjoying a relaxing bath or cuddling up with an enjoyable book. World Health Organization defines self-care as the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote their own health, prevent diseases, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker (Institute). According to research there are about seven forms of self-care which are
1. Physical Self Care
2. Emotional Self Care
3. Mental/Intellectual Self Care
4. Social/Relational Self Care
5. Spiritual Self Care
6. Practical Self Care
7. Professional Self Care
The most popular and trendy of the forms being physical self-care. Physical self-care is identified as one of the most important forms as it involves taking care yourself physically. Examples of physical self-care include taking a bath, getting a new hairstyle, and eating tasty food. Physical self-care is considered the foundation to other forms of caring for self.
Emotional self-care is the provision of what is necessary for identifying and nurturing your feelings, your conscious inner state, and your intellect (Alchemy).
Emotional self-care means taking action to process and connect with our emotions in a healthy way. Emotional self-care can provide the tools to cope with demanding situations or anxiety/depression. Some examples of emotional self-care include meditation, talking to a therapist, or writing your thoughts in a journal.
Mental & intellectual self-care involves stimulating your mind. It is the ability to encourage yourself to learn new things and keeping your mind sharp. Some examples of mental & intellectual self-care include reading a book, going to museum, or watching a documentary.
Social & relational self-care is cultivating or maintaining relationships with friends or family. It does not mean that you must spend every day with your loved ones as life is busy but ensuring that you take the time to fill that social meter. Some examples of social & relational self-care would involve going to family barbecues, going out to brunch with your friends, catching up with an old friend over the phone.
Spiritual self-care involves doing activities that can nurture your soul and does not require religion if you do not practice. Spiritual self-care is about connecting with your inner spirit and some that may require religion but some it may not. Some examples of spiritual self-care include spending time in nature, engaging in one’s religion service, and volunteering for a nonprofit.
Practical self-care are everyday activities that may seem mundane but contribute to your mental health. Practical self-care can be helpful for those who are less organized or may not have the time to commit to organization such as new parents, college students or professionals. Some examples of practical self-care cleaning your closet, shredding documents that have piled up, and cleaning your house.
Professional self-care is important because if it is anything the pandemic has taught us is that is important to have a work-life balance. The pandemic has also taught us that it important to take breaks when needed to ensure that we are productive for work and setting boundaries with our superiors. Some examples of professional self-care are setting your phone to Do Not Disturb at the end of the day, scheduling time to eat lunch, and taking a mental health or sick day when needed.
Self-care is important for the wellbeing of any person. Although popular forms of self-care displayed on social media involves physical self-care we must remember to focus on all aspects of self-care and include it in our weekly routines to become a well-rounded person. If you are interested in more tips or tricks, you can follow us on Instagram @magicalconcoction for more ideas on how to take care of yourself, Magical Concoction will resume weekly self-care tips on self-care Sunday. (July 3rd, 2022)
Works Cited
Alchemy, D. (n.d.). Emotional Self Care. Retrieved from Desert Alchemy: https://www.desert-alchemy.com/article/emotional-self-care/
Institute, H. C. (n.d.). 7 Types of Self-Care & Why You Need Them. Retrieved from Health Coach Institute: https://www.healthcoachinstitute.com/articles/7-types-of-self-care/
Polish, J. (2020, April 14). 8 Types of Self Care & How To Practice them. Retrieved from www.bustle.com: https://www.bustle.com/wellness/types-of-self-care-how-to-practice-experts