Self-care is an essential quality for building your resilience skills. Taking good care of you isn’t selfish, it’s critical to your well-being. Self-care is when you take care of you without the intention of taking from or harming others. Selfishness is taking from others often to their detriment. When you take good care of you then you can take good care of others. The WHO (World Health Organization) defines it as the ability of person to maintain health, prevent disease and cope with illness or disability without the support of a healthcare provider. That’s being resilient!
Why self-care important for everyone? Many benefits …
Self-care isn’t only chocolate and bubble baths. Self-care is what is meaningful and rejuvenates for you. A walk outside may be awesome for us in sitting professions. A nap may be great for those of us on our feet and active all day. It’s what works for YOU!
There are seven different facets of self-care. I learned about the other facets of self-care researching for this blog.
7 Types of Self Care
Physical is what we often see and consider self-care. This means things that enhance and engage your physical well-being. How can you do something that helps you feel balanced, calm and peaceful. Doing something daily, even small things to care for your body are great ways to take good care of your physical body.
Ideas for physical self-care – Physical activity – walk, run, bike ride, hike; massage, warm bath, napping, dancing, gardening, getting good sleep, keeping hydrated, fueling body, get a physical. It’s being in control and mindful of your physical health.
Emotional
Self-care of our emotions are things we do to connect, process and reflect on our emotions. Terrific for when we’re triggered - by others, uncertainty, when our feeling feels out of control, or when we’re struggling with emotions.
Ideas for emotional self-care – journaling your feelings, meditation, creating art, playing music, expressing gratitude, a regular gratitude practice, affirmations/mantras, or working with a therapist, coach, or spiritual guide.
Mental
Mental self-care is doing something to stimulate your mind and intellect in a healthy manner. This part of self-care includes setting healthy boundaries.
Ideas for mental self-care – learning something new, reading a book, solving puzzles, playing games like chess, taking a class, listening to a podcast, visiting a museum, writing, watching an inspiring documentary or movie, and practicing self-compassion.
Social
Activities that nurture your relationships with others are ways to build social self-care. The key is to find balance in spending time with others who are uplifting and positive. Taking an inventory of those people who are toxic, negative or stress you out and determine how much time if any you want to spend in these relationships. Evaluate what your needs are for relationships and nurturing connection.
Ideas for social self-care– Phone calls and visits with loved ones, outings with friends, dating your special person, writing and sending cards, getting out if you’ve been hermiting, mindfully being with those who uplift you while taking good care of you.
Spiritual
Taking action to be engaged, connected, and nurture your soul while thinking outside of yourself. It may or may not be religious and/or honor a higher power. It can help you feel more grounded and find meaning. A resilient benefit is coping better through change and loss.
Ideas for spiritual self-care – Prayer, meditation, worship, yoga, spending time in nature, self reflection, volunteering for a meaningful to you cause.
Practical
Tasks and things, you do to complete and fulfill your essential needs are ways to practice practical self-care. By taking care of these things you in turn reduce future stress. I hadn’t considered this a self-care practice until researching for this blog. However, doing things to help your life run smoothly and taking control over your life ARE a self-care practice.
Ideas for practical self-care– Organize an area of the home – especially ones that are stressful, create a budget or meet with a financial planner, organize your workspace – both virtual and physical so it works for you, plan your meals for the week, prep food for the week, plan your week, keep a time budget for yourself (what are you mindfully vs. mindlessly spending time on for example).
Professional
Professional self-care looks like activities and actions that support your career that supports balance and fulfillment. Another topic of self-care I hadn’t considered before. By doing self-care in your career you can reduce burnout and feelings of overwhelm.
Ideas for professional self-care – Set boundaries, professional development, get a mentor, utilize time blocking, calendar time for lunch, breaks and exercise, having a going to work and leaving work routine. Take PTO and vacations. Take sick days and/ or mental health days. Utilize the company benefits – financial planning, health, mental health, gym memberships, etc. if you’re privileged to have them. The intent is to mindfully care for you and your professional life.
Now that you know the 7 types of self-care you can assess where you are, determine the areas to grow, develop strategies. Take one area and take action this week for self-care. Take steps to build up to a self-care routine that works for you.
Here is to a well cared for YOU. When you do then you can show up fully and be a light
As Jim Rohn said, “I will take care of me for you, if you will take care of you for me.” A favorite quote for me that my hubs, Bill introduced me to.
How will you take really good care of you this next day, week, month and year? I’d love to hear what how you take really good care of you?
If you or someone you know would like support in life or business with putting self-care in to action or building resiliency, please reach out and contact me. I provide a safe place to explore your life and business. I love when my clients share their wins and seeing them embrace their lives while living boldly!
Teresa – Mindfully digging into self-care
Teresa Q. Bitner, M.Ed., PMP, PCC - Resiliency, Change and Loss Coach
Partnering with those who have been knocked down my life and want to build resiliency and move forward and live a bold life.
[email protected]
www.boldfulfilledlifecoach.com
Author of:
• Soul Love: How A Dog Taught Me to Breathe Again
• The First Days Widow Journey
• Explorations into the Being and Doing of Coaching: A collection of voices, insights and wisdom from Austin area coaches
Why self-care important for everyone? Many benefits …
- Improves confidence
- Reduces stress
- Build self-esteem
- Prevents burnout
- Leads to work life balance
- Improves physical health
- Increase positive energy
- Reduce anxiety & depression
- Improve overall well-being and happiness
- Improve chronic illness management
- Improves relationships
- May provide health prevention for future disease (from the American Heart Association)
Self-care isn’t only chocolate and bubble baths. Self-care is what is meaningful and rejuvenates for you. A walk outside may be awesome for us in sitting professions. A nap may be great for those of us on our feet and active all day. It’s what works for YOU!
There are seven different facets of self-care. I learned about the other facets of self-care researching for this blog.
7 Types of Self Care
- Physical
- Emotional
- Mental
- Social
- Spiritual
- Practical
- Professional
Physical is what we often see and consider self-care. This means things that enhance and engage your physical well-being. How can you do something that helps you feel balanced, calm and peaceful. Doing something daily, even small things to care for your body are great ways to take good care of your physical body.
Ideas for physical self-care – Physical activity – walk, run, bike ride, hike; massage, warm bath, napping, dancing, gardening, getting good sleep, keeping hydrated, fueling body, get a physical. It’s being in control and mindful of your physical health.
Emotional
Self-care of our emotions are things we do to connect, process and reflect on our emotions. Terrific for when we’re triggered - by others, uncertainty, when our feeling feels out of control, or when we’re struggling with emotions.
Ideas for emotional self-care – journaling your feelings, meditation, creating art, playing music, expressing gratitude, a regular gratitude practice, affirmations/mantras, or working with a therapist, coach, or spiritual guide.
Mental
Mental self-care is doing something to stimulate your mind and intellect in a healthy manner. This part of self-care includes setting healthy boundaries.
Ideas for mental self-care – learning something new, reading a book, solving puzzles, playing games like chess, taking a class, listening to a podcast, visiting a museum, writing, watching an inspiring documentary or movie, and practicing self-compassion.
Social
Activities that nurture your relationships with others are ways to build social self-care. The key is to find balance in spending time with others who are uplifting and positive. Taking an inventory of those people who are toxic, negative or stress you out and determine how much time if any you want to spend in these relationships. Evaluate what your needs are for relationships and nurturing connection.
Ideas for social self-care– Phone calls and visits with loved ones, outings with friends, dating your special person, writing and sending cards, getting out if you’ve been hermiting, mindfully being with those who uplift you while taking good care of you.
Spiritual
Taking action to be engaged, connected, and nurture your soul while thinking outside of yourself. It may or may not be religious and/or honor a higher power. It can help you feel more grounded and find meaning. A resilient benefit is coping better through change and loss.
Ideas for spiritual self-care – Prayer, meditation, worship, yoga, spending time in nature, self reflection, volunteering for a meaningful to you cause.
Practical
Tasks and things, you do to complete and fulfill your essential needs are ways to practice practical self-care. By taking care of these things you in turn reduce future stress. I hadn’t considered this a self-care practice until researching for this blog. However, doing things to help your life run smoothly and taking control over your life ARE a self-care practice.
Ideas for practical self-care– Organize an area of the home – especially ones that are stressful, create a budget or meet with a financial planner, organize your workspace – both virtual and physical so it works for you, plan your meals for the week, prep food for the week, plan your week, keep a time budget for yourself (what are you mindfully vs. mindlessly spending time on for example).
Professional
Professional self-care looks like activities and actions that support your career that supports balance and fulfillment. Another topic of self-care I hadn’t considered before. By doing self-care in your career you can reduce burnout and feelings of overwhelm.
Ideas for professional self-care – Set boundaries, professional development, get a mentor, utilize time blocking, calendar time for lunch, breaks and exercise, having a going to work and leaving work routine. Take PTO and vacations. Take sick days and/ or mental health days. Utilize the company benefits – financial planning, health, mental health, gym memberships, etc. if you’re privileged to have them. The intent is to mindfully care for you and your professional life.
Now that you know the 7 types of self-care you can assess where you are, determine the areas to grow, develop strategies. Take one area and take action this week for self-care. Take steps to build up to a self-care routine that works for you.
Here is to a well cared for YOU. When you do then you can show up fully and be a light
As Jim Rohn said, “I will take care of me for you, if you will take care of you for me.” A favorite quote for me that my hubs, Bill introduced me to.
How will you take really good care of you this next day, week, month and year? I’d love to hear what how you take really good care of you?
If you or someone you know would like support in life or business with putting self-care in to action or building resiliency, please reach out and contact me. I provide a safe place to explore your life and business. I love when my clients share their wins and seeing them embrace their lives while living boldly!
Teresa – Mindfully digging into self-care
Teresa Q. Bitner, M.Ed., PMP, PCC - Resiliency, Change and Loss Coach
Partnering with those who have been knocked down my life and want to build resiliency and move forward and live a bold life.
[email protected]
www.boldfulfilledlifecoach.com
Author of:
• Soul Love: How A Dog Taught Me to Breathe Again
• The First Days Widow Journey
• Explorations into the Being and Doing of Coaching: A collection of voices, insights and wisdom from Austin area coaches
RSS Feed