In recent years, the term “self-care” has almost become a buzzword. It is thrown around a lot which can allow it to lose its meaning and sense of importance in everyday life. It has been estimated that the Google searches for “self-care” have quadrupled since 2018. For other people, they may even view self-care to be a selfish or self-indulgent activity that they have no time for.
Simply put, self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can feel healthy, do your job, and care for others. When you practice an adequate amount of self-care, your cup gets filled, ensuring that you can check off all the tasks on your to-do list for the day while feeling emotionally, mentally, and physically well.
The truth is that we are living in a mental health crisis where millions of Americans are dealing with anxiety and depression. That is to say, many people feel it and understand the effects. Self-care is a part of the equation when it comes to addressing mental health concerns. When you take care of yourself, you are able to cope better with daily stressors. If you find yourself needing help with managing your daily stressors, check out our blog “Everything You Need To Know About Stress Management Therapy.”
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Utah.
What is self-care?
If you ask 100 people what self-care is, you will probably receive 100 different answers since self-care can be subjective and is personalized for each child, teen, and adult. Self-care is a general term that includes everything you deliberately do to maintain your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Even though self-care sounds relatively simple and straight-forward, many of us pay little attention to it.
In orderly to truly practice and attain self-care, you must be conscious of your well-being. Whether you make the conscious decision to meditate before checking your emails in the morning or you decide to book that much-needed vacation, being in tune with your emotions is key to success and happiness.
When you adequately practice self-care, you can:
Promote your overall well-being
Prevent disease
Maintain your health
Cope with illness and/or disability
How is self-care unique?
Self-care is an activity that supports your emotional, mental, and physical needs and health. Self-care is highly personalized. For example, one person may find that a hike out in nature does wonders for them to reinvigorate their body and mind. On the other hand, another person may choose to cozy up on the couch with a good book to alleviate the stress on their mind.
Self-care does not just mean taking part in a fun activity. Oftentimes, the best forms of self-care include the things we really do not want to do, but we know that doing them will make us feel better in the long-term. For instance, you may have to save the $100 you were going to spend going out this weekend with friends and put it towards a savings fund. Or, you may force yourself to attend that hard 6:00 pm workout class after work even if it is the last thing in the world you want to do. Self-care entails improving your life.
What are the 8 types of self-care?
After a hard day at the office, it is normal for one to engage in indulgent behavior. This is okay from time-to-time, but the problem comes into play when we begin to associate this pampering behavior with self-care. When any behavior is taken to an extreme, it can cause more issues than it solves.
Let us say that you decide to overindulge in alcohol every night. This can lead to addiction issues which spill into other aspects of your life, like your physical and emotional health, financial situation, career, and relationships. If someone you know is struggling with alcohol addiction, our blog “5 Ways To Help Someone Battling Alcohol Addiction” is a must-read.
Any overindulgent behavior will breed more issues. The most effective form of self-care to engage in supports your physical, mental, and emotional welfare while being healthy and productive. When you practice self-care, you can become more confident and effective which ensures that you are meeting your life goals. Therefore, self-care is necessary not only for your well-being, but for your productivity as well.
There are 8 primary areas of self-care. Continue reading to find out all 8 forms of self-care and how you can practice them…
Mental Self-Care
Mental self-care refers to your cognitive thinking and psychology. It is your mind’s ability to grasp information and process it so you have experiences. When you practice mental self-care, it stimulates the mind and improves brain functionality. Additionally, practicing mental self-care helps you garner a growth mindset. A growth mindset views failure as an opportunity for growth while a fixed mindset views it as a limit on their abilities. A growth mindset can be very freeing and encouraging while a fixed mindset will leave you feeling depleted and unworthy.
When you have a proper and healthy mindset, you are able to process information more easily.
If you are looking to practice mental self-care, you can do the following:
Journaling
Doing a social media detox (If you are struggling with your social media usage, read our blog “Do I Have A Social Media Addiction?”.)
Engaging in a fun, intellectual game (e.g., chess, completing a crossword puzzle, etc)
Learning a new skill or language
Setting intentional goals (no matter how big or how small!)
Reading self-help or personal growth books
Practicing gratitude
Practicing positive thinking
2. Emotional Self-Care
Emotional self-care encompasses your emotions, and learning how to understand yourself and your feelings better through emotional care. Emotional self-care allows you to accept yourself and truly love yourself. Your emotions dictate the expression of your feelings and your behavior.
If you want to build your emotional intelligence, try the following:
Asking for support from a licensed mental health counselor
Having a good cry
Writing down positive affirmations
Journaling about your feelings
Setting healthy and clear boundaries to protect your mental health
Spending time by yourself with little to no distractions
Practicing self-love
3. Physical Self-Care
Your physical self-care can impact numerous facets of your life since there is a direct correlation between your physical health and other self-care categories. “Healthy” is personal and looks different for everyone due to our current conditions and health status. For example, if you have a chronic illness, your physical self-care will look different for someone who is not struggling with an illness.
Generally, part of a physical self-care regime includes a well-balanced diet, getting a good amount of sleep each night so your energy levels are good, and exercising regularly. Participating in all three of these physical health aspects will improve the overall quality of your life.
To make sure that you maintain good physical health, you can…
Get anywhere from 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night (If you struggle with sleep, read our blog “How CBT Can Help With Your Insomnia”)
Spend time in nature
Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up
Eat a healthy and nourishing meal
Move your body daily (e.g., going for a walk, running, doing a workout class, and so on - To find out more about the benefits of movement, check out our blog “5 Ways Exercise Benefits Your Mental Health.”)
Make sure that you are getting in all of your vitamins
Sit in the sun to get your daily dose of Vitamin D
Have a soothing hot bath or shower
4. Environmental Self-Care
If you want to truly grow, it is important to be in a setting where you feel comfortable. For some people, that may be in a big and bustling city while other people may enjoy the peace and solace of a suburban or rural community. Whatever the case is for you, make sure that you find the right type of environment for you.
Your environment should always motivate you instead of making you feel drained and depressed. When your personal space is organized and clutter-free, you are able to maintain your setting and take care of yourself.
Environmental self-care activities can include:
Traveling for a change of scenery
Setting a calm mood in the evenings (e.g., using a diffuser, lighting candles, etc)
Decluttering your closet regularly
Listening to music
Making your bed every morning
Tidying and organizing your office/desk
Heading to a coffee shop to work
Exploring somewhere new
5. Social Self-Care
When we think of self-care we often think about it in terms of spending time by ourselves, but that is not always the case. Social self-care refers to your ability to build and maintain healthy relationships with other people. Social connections help you feel loved and less alone. Additionally, these relationships help you improve your communication skills. Whether you are making new friends or maintaining a relationship, it is important to prioritize social self-care.
Some examples of social self-care activities include:
Limiting the amount of time you spend with negative people
Reaching out to support systems regularly
Setting healthy boundaries
Forming new personal and professional relationships
Staying connected with important people in your life
Hanging out with a friend with zero distractions
Messaging a friend to tell them what you are grateful for
Building an engaged community
Spending time with friends and family members
6. Financial Self-Care
Personal finance can often be a daunting thing, but it is an essential part of life. When you create a healthy relationship with money, you will notice that much stress and anxiety may be erased from your life. Financial self-care can help improve your mindset regarding money so you are more open to discussing it and it does not feel like such a negative, heavy, or uncomfortable topic.
Examples of financial self-care activities may include:
Dealing with debt head-on
Writing down positive money affirmations
Saving money each pay period
Listening to financial news
Investing in your future
Setting up financial goals for the year
Using a money app to help keep track of your finances
7. Spiritual Self-Care
The other 7 areas of self-care are focused directly on your mind and body, while spiritual self-care can be viewed more on a soul or existential level. Obviously, spiritual self-care looks different for everyone. Someone may believe in an organized religion while others may be agnostic or atheist.
Oftentimes, spiritual self-care helps one delve deeper into their purpose and meaning. To truly practice spiritual self-care, one must silence the outside so they can focus on their inner world.
Spiritual self-care tasks can include:
Dedicating time for self-reflection
Praying each day
Meditating or doing breathwork (Read “How Meditation Can Lead To Stress Reduction” for more information)
Spending time in nature
Yoga (Check out our past blog “The Mental Health Benefits Of Practicing Yoga” to learn more)
Outlining your core values
Going to a place of worship
8. Recreational Self-Care
Recreational self-care is exactly what it sounds like - carving time out of your day to do something fun! When you practice recreational self-care, you are working with your inner child to take part in hobbies that bring you genuine happiness.
Some examples of recreational self-care can be:
Joining an exercise class
Watching Netflix or your favorite film
Going traveling
Having a spa day
Spending time in nature
Engaging in creative activities (painting, sculpting, drawing, etc)
Reading a good book, magazine, and so on
Playing board games or doing a puzzle
Practicing self-care does not mean spoiling yourself just because- it has a purpose. Self-care can be simple if you allow it to be. It does not have to be something as grand as booking an expensive vacation or luxurious spa treatment. The point of self-care is to engage with it so you feel better about yourself, not so you can feel guilty later on. Self-care should ideally be a daily practice, even if it is just doing something for 15-minutes a day that brings you joy. These actions can be small, but they are impactful in both the short- and long-term. By practicing self-care, you can feel energized and grateful, ready to support others along the way.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager, Intake Coordinator, and Office Manager at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR HELP FROM A PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR TO ASSIST YOU IN MAKING POSITIVE CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE, CONTACT US
WORKING WITH US IS EASY
Fill out the contact form below.
Our intake coordinator will get back to you with more information on how we can help and to schedule an appointment. We will set you up with an experienced licensed therapist who specializes in what you're seeking help with and who understands your needs.
You’ll rest easy tonight knowing you made the first step to improve your life.
