You may have heard the term “Self-Care” used frequently on social media or spoken in conversations. More and more people have begun to embrace the notion of self-care as an act of tending to themselves to balance the amount of stress they have in their lives.

Stress management is even more crucial in these unprecedented moments where uncertainty with the pandemic continues, and our lives have drastically adapted to new routines. Not only do we deal with the demands of being “on” all the time at our desks and at work, but we also have our personal lives to handle. This can all be too daunting and overwhelming to cope with on top of the daily headlines in the news of increased crime rates and political issues, making our living experience immensely dierent and challenging from the one we once knew. So this makes sense that Self-Care can be viewed as a necessity for self-preservation in our current times (or times like these)
So you may ask, what is Self-Care exactly?

Self-Care has been portrayed in many dierent ways on social media, from bubble baths to shopping sprees to yoga classes to doing nothing – the list goes on. There is no one simple answer.

Self-Care is the practice of connecting and responding to our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs and simply learning to take care of ourselves on a day-to-day basis to maintain and respond to these needs to enhance well-being and positive ways of being. Self-care does not need to mean luxury either, as it can be as small as finding micro-moments in our schedule to step out to do something for ourselves. Self-care may feel selfish or indulgent to some, but it isn’t as it is what will replenish and sustain us for showing up to do the things we need to do in life and in staying well. In essence, Self-Care is whatever you do for yourself that creates feelings of relaxation, joy, happiness, compassion, and nurturance.

Why is Self-care good for you?

Self-Care can help to :
-increases emotional well-being and positive feelings
-bring more connectivity to self and emotions
-alleviate or prevent burnout
-boost levels of resiliency and increase stress management skills
-serve as preventative measures for physical illness and mental health issues due to prolonged stress
-Increase longevity and positive well-being health outcomes

Define Self-Care for Yourself

Everybody’s Self-Care needs are unique to each individual. You may be surprised that even small gestures or actions in your day can also serve as means to Self-Care. Take some time to connect to your body and feel what it needs. What things come to mind first? Sometimes what is simple and what comes to mind first is critical.

In what ways can you show yourself care?

Well-being is composed of the facets of the mind (emotional and mental health), body (physical health), and soul (spiritual health). Showing care to ourselves can look dierently per person, but here are some ways of Self-Care.
Mind
Being kind to yourself
Exercising self-compassion
Setting boundaries
Listening to yourself and your needs
Valuing your time and individual core values Speaking to a therapist
Meditation
Connection /social support with loved ones and friends
Joining a support group or interest group of choice Trying or doing hobbies
Saying no

Body
Eating whole and nutritious foods that nourish you Physical exercise – your favorite sport or outdoor activity
Getting a massage
Going for a walk in nature
Swimming in the ocean
Hot bath soak
Dancing like no one’s watching
Sleeping well and getting enough sleep
Resting when needed
Yoga
Being mindful of ways we may harm the body
Building protective factors

Soul
Connecting to God or Spirituality
Prayers
Relating to or finding your purpose
Building a personalized ritual
Visiting a sacred place