A Beginners Guide to Self-Care

I’ll guarantee that you are already practicing elements of self-care. There is no exclusive list of what self-care includes. It’s a rather loose definition but here are the basic rules. Is it healthy? Does it help you to feel better physically or mentally? Are you doing it intentionally? If the answer is yes to the above then it is probably some version of self-care. Here are some exceptions to the rule; unhealthy habits or coping skills such as excessive drinking or drug use would not be considered self-care.

Where do I begin? How you start depends a lot on where you are right now. Let’s take for instance depression. Depression can make it almost impossible to get out of bed. Sometimes you neglect basic hygiene like showering and changing clothes. If this is where you are, first know you aren’t alone. Depression is a beast but you can get through this. So let’s meet you where you are today and set realistic goals for self-care. Something that might be good in this situation is the goal of getting a shower. Keep is simple, realistic, and attainable. This can be hard when you are depressed but it is important so give it a try and know that I am rooting for you!

Let’s say you are stressed with work, family, and all of life’s responsibilities. It sounds like your life is driving you. Maybe it is time to step back and schedule in a little time to take care of you. Do you like to exercise? Get your nails done? Pickup a book from the library and read? There are a thousand things you can do. What these things have in common are they will help you to relax, get away from your stress, and take care of yourself.

Self-care looks different for different people. My friend deals with his stress by exercising. He trained and ran in an Iron-man, marathons, he climbs, and loves to push himself. I am incredibly proud but I only run when there is something chasing me. I have no interest in pushing my body to the limit. Exercise to me seems like a torture routine not a stress zapper. It is okay that we have different self-care strategies because we are unique individuals.

(For the record this will never be me…never)

One weekend, this same friend and I were out driving and he pulls over to a shop. As he jumped out of his truck, I asked what we were doing. He said that he wanted to stop by a shop he used to go to after work. We walked into a vinyl record store. As we were sorting through the bins looking at old vinyls he told me he used this place to calm down before coming home. It was the first time I could truly appreciate his self-care strategy because I love music as well.

(For the record…pun very much intended…this is totally me)

Whether you love to spend time in your garden, knock out some DYI project, read a book, play with your dog, or take a nap in your hammock, it is all self-care. The importance is less on what you do and more on how often you practice self-care. If you never pick up the book you got from the library then it didn’t work. So think about your day and what you have done to help check your stress and emotions. Are you doing enough? If you’re like most people…probably not. Is it intentional? Are you carving out time specifically for you so that you can calm down and relax? Sorry but coincidental self-care like picking up the magazine at the dentist’s office does not count. So here is the challenge: UP YOUR SELF-CARE GAME! Comment below with what self-care strategies you use or ones you’d like to try. Who knows you might inspire someone else.