It used to be that when I thought of a “Self-Care” routine the image of some chick in a bubble bath with perfectly shaved legs, a glass of wine, and a book would pop into my head. And for many, that is part of their Self-Care routine. But if you are not a “Bubble Bath” kinda gal (or guy) what else is there that you could build into your routine? And what other aspects of self-care are there then just a bubble bath? And of course, What does the term “Self Care” even mean?
Defining Self-Care
There is so much hype or “buzz” around the topic of Self-Care that it can be hard to wade through the massive amounts of information out there right now. The question I kept coming up against is “Yeah, but what about for me?”. I just couldn’t see how all these routines, planners and checklists could be fit into my life without causing MORE Stress.
The First step I took in building my personal Self-Care Routine was to Define Self-Care, to be clear when I say “Self-Care” I mean:
the activities and practices we engage in on a regular basis to reduce stress and enhance our well-being.
To my way of thinking, this includes pretty much anything (and everything) that works for us, provided it isn’t harming us or someone else.
You might be saying “But that doesn’t narrow down what I should be doing!”, please stick with me, cause I promise we will get to the fun stuff.
When I was on Maternity Leave I was surprised to realize How Maternity Leave Helped me Build a Better Relationship With Myself. A good portion of that relationship was tied to self-care and building a routine around handling all the stress in my life.
What I hadn’t figured out at the time however was how many different aspects of self-care are involved in a well-balanced routine.
So over the next little bit I’m going to be diving in and sharing with you some of the key things I’ve learned about building a routine around my self-care in the following areas.
Self-Care – the Dimensions to a Balanced WellBeing
Physical – this applies to your physical body, in what ever shape or form it is, we only have one of these and it’s worth taking care of it now.
Mental – our Mental Health is important to help us navigate through the challenges each day, if we aren’t thinking clearly we can make some rather rough choices and get ourselves into hot water which is why it is important to give our minds a break
Emotional – Connecting with our Emotional Self Care brings with it a better understanding of ourselves. Helps us cope with challenges and changes that can be overwhelming at times. And aids us in developing more healthy relationships with a greater sense of compassion, kindness and love for not just ourselves but others as well.
Spiritual – We all have a need to believe in something greater than ourselves. Wether you are a practicing Christian like myself or have no definable faith, we all hold onto something within us that begs to be believed in.
Social – Connecting with others is a bigger part of our wellbeing then most realize, it helps create a sense of belonging and acceptance in the world that we all need. It allows us to create and share a common bond with other people.
Self-Care – What’s In my Routine
Self-Care – How to understand your current routine.
Self-Care – How to build upon your routine.
Every week over the next little bit I’ll be coming back and adding links to the new posts for each dimension. And to wrap it all up I’ll be including a fun list of ways to build Self-Care into your daily routine. So check back for updates cause there is more coming soon!