Self-care is no longer a luxury but a burning necessity.
What is it all about?
It is an awfully personal process of finding what triggers and nourishes you. While the internet is saturated with information and self-care hacks, it is imperative to understand that self-care is most useful and functional when personalized. It is about finding your love language to be more loving towards yourself. To help you get started, here is a short quiz you can take: https://5lovelanguages.com/quizzes
This is, obviously, not the only way you can find what truly makes you feel loved and appreciated. A method that I often use is journaling. A practice of regular self-reflection keeps you attuned to your constantly changing needs and wants.
Knowing your love language makes the process much simpler and more defined. For instance, the way in which I like to be shown love is mainly through quality time. In self-care terms, I could spend more quality time with myself by starting a diary and writing about my day or romanticizing my life a little by watching the sunset and listening to my favourite songs.
The question you can ask yourself: What can I do to nourish my mind, body and soul in a very specific way to who I am? If this is still an intimidating concept to wrap your head around, it’s okay. We got you.
The five forms of self-care:
This broad concept can be narrowed down to comprise the following categories –
- Physical Self-Care
The most basic and yet the most essential form of self-care. Taking care of yourself physically can start with taking a shower, hydrating yourself and ensuring that you get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Depending on what your health allows, you can get intensive with your fitness routine, but if you are not someone who enjoys that, you can opt for a more relaxing way to pamper yourself by perhaps booking yourself a massage or stretching outdoors.
- Emotional Self-Care
On a daily basis, we need an outlet for all the emotions we experience and a safe space to express ourselves. If you are someone with an artistic temperament, you could write poems, paint or play music to channel your emotions in a creative manner. If not, you could consider seeing a therapist every so often or dumping your thoughts in a journal to get rid of all that negative energy you may be harbouring through the day.
- Mental Self-Care
Albert Einstein said that we must feed our minds as often as we feed our stomachs. Consuming content that inspires you and elevates your consciousness is essential to taking care of your mind. You could start your day by listening to a podcast or reading a book while sipping a warm cup of coffee. Alternatively, you could engage your mind by solving a puzzle or learning a new skill. Learning a new language is often my favourite way of doing that for my mind.
- Social Self-Care
Social Self-Care is all about a balance of establishing healthy boundaries and yet ensuring sufficient time for nurturing personal relationships. Avoid exhausting and overly draining yourself by learning to say no and taking the time to restore. This is an act of self-love. At the same time, if you feel like catching up with an old friend, making a plan to go out, or texting a family member, don’t hold back. Make an effort to reach out and connect.
- Spiritual Self-Care
A personal favourite form of self-care includes the practice of meditation and yoga, among other things. Connecting with your spirit and the universe is a very individual pursuit. However, making an effort to discover that relationship and what it means to you is also an act of self-care. For me, spending time in nature, regularly self-reflecting, and practising gratitude is what feels most aligned with my soul.
To put it simply…
As with any relationship, what strengthens it, is a sense of trust. To build that trust within yourself, you must establish a routine and follow through. In any given moment, if you sit back and evaluate what it is that you truly want or need, and you make an effort to show up yourself, there can be no greater act of self-love. So, go ahead and indulge in some self-loving!