Updated January 21, 2019
Understanding The 9 Elements of Self-care
It wasn’t until a life changing event like having a preemie at 26 weeks did I truly embrace the importance of self-care. Some may envision self-care as getting a massage or manicure—and I won’t disagree that a day at the spa has stress reducing powers. However, there is more to self-care than just pampering. Self-care is an active and powerful choice to engage in regular activities to reduce stress AND maintain individual short and long-term well-being.
Self-care is very necessary for your effectiveness and success in honoring your professional and personal commitments. The practice will help you to identify and manage the general challenges—i.e. stress, burnout or interpersonal difficulties, and it will make you aware of your own personal vulnerabilities. Ultimately, self-care can help you achieve more life balance.
The common aims to almost all self-care efforts:
- Taking care of physical and psychological health
- Managing and reducing stress
- Honoring emotional and spiritual needs
- Fostering and sustaining relationships
- Achieving a work and home life equilibrium
There are 9 components to self-care and wellness; however, it’s important to keep in mind that we are all unique, and self-care is a highly personal endeavor. As such, each of us must determine what self-care means for ourselves and how to apply it in our life. The benefits of proactive self-care are numerous, measurable, and significant.
- Self Awareness is the ability to notice your feelings, physical sensations, habits, thought patterns, behaviors and reaction. Having a good understanding of your inner workings will help you to make the necessary self-care changes that will improve your overall well-being.
- Body Wellness reduces your risk for chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It can boost your energy, helps you to enjoy better sleep, and it can ease body pain and stiffness. Assess your wellness: Are you getting annual wellness exams? Are you at a healthy weight? Are you satisfied with your current diet? Do you avoid using tobacco products? Do you get adequate amount of sleep? Do you have a regular movement and exercise that gives you strength, flexibility endurance and balance?
- Mind Wellness opens your mind to new ideas and experiences that can be applied to personal and professional decisions. Assess your wellness: Do you have a creative outlet? Are you living an intellectually stimulated life, or are you bored?
- Emotional Wellness helps individuals to bounce back from adversity, retain a sense of meaning and purpose, and maintain a healthy self-esteem. Assess your wellness: Are you able to maintain a balance of work, family, friends, and other obligations? Do you have ways to reduce stress? Do you have an optimistic view on life?
- Social Wellness connects you to others and gives you a sense that you are part of a community. It helps to have caring and supportive relationships in both good and challenging times. Positive and healthy intimate relationships can be a source of strength. Assess your wellness: Do you have a strong support system? Are you in stable relationships where you are valued and respected? Do you make time to get out and visit friends? Can you be yourself when in a social setting?
- Spiritual Wellness helps individuals to find meaning, hope, comfort, and inner peace across all aspects of their life. Assess your wellness: Do you create time for prayer, affirmations, or meditation practice? Do you have a strong sense of purpose in your life? Do you take time to “smell the roses?” Do you give openly and without expectation?
- Financial Wellness ensures that basic material needs (food, housing, utility bills) are being met. Assess your wellness: Do you live within your means? Do you stick to a budget? Are you in debt? Are you satisfied with your household income?
- Environmental Wellness at home and work is safe, comfortable, and healthy. Assess your wellness: Do you enjoy life? Do I like where you live? Is your house safe and nourishing? Do you keep your areas clean and organized?
- Personal & Occupational Wellness ensures personal fulfillment from your job or career while still maintaining balance in your life. Assess your wellness: Are you satisfied with your current career or education path? Are you motivated to work every day? Are you able to communicate and establish collaborative partnerships at work?
Some final thoughts… Self-care isn’t a selfish act, nor is it something that we force ourselves to do. It involves knowing what we need to do in order to take care of ourselves so that we are able to take care of others as well. In other words, if you don’t take enough care of yourself, you won’t be in the place to give to your loved ones either.
Call to Action: As you consider incorporating self-care into your routine, keep these things in mind:
- You need to be self-aware for self-care to be effective. Self-awareness requires an honest and non-judgmental assessment of who you currently are.
- Don’t feel you need to address every element of self-care all at once. Just focus on 1 or 2 elements at a time.
- You don’t have to invest any money to practice healthy self-care. Self-care can be free!
- Add self-care to your calendar. Like goal-setting, individuals are more likely to participate in self-care practices if it is listed down as something that needs to be done.
- Solicit support from your spouse or partner to encourage your new habits.
- Infuse self-care into your day by dedicating tiny increments of time to mitigate stress. For example, take 5 minutes out of your schedule to listen to a mindfulness app.
In the final part of this three-part series, I will discuss how to develop a self-care plan.
If you haven’t done so already, subscribe to my newsletter and receive your FREE 13-page Self-Care Starter Kit. If you need a boost of motivation or inspiration, follow me on Facebook or Instagram to catch my daily quote.
References:
http://www.alaskanschangingtogether.org/
https://www.va.gov/PATIENTCENTEREDCARE/resources/components-of-proactive-health.asp
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