As a society, we have become tragically disconnected with our own wellbeing. Sure, we create New Year’s resolutions, tell ourselves to take it easy and get more rest, but too often our concept of self-care is surprisingly shallow. True wellbeing requires more than occasional relaxation; it requires holistic self-care, an effort to prioritize your wellbeing on all fronts. It’s time to take a deep dive into holistic self-care.
1. Nourish the Mind, Body, and Soul
Get Creative!
Unleash the creative potential of your mind. Express yourself through writing, painting, crafting, or whatever works for you and makes you feel alive. Creativity is the key to unlocking the potential for personal, emotional, and psychological growth.
Stay Active!
Giving your body a workout is an incredibly important part of nourishing your mind and soul. Whether you’re running, lifting weights, or performing yoga, physical activity helps to release endorphins that are essential for positive thinking and the production of serotonin – a key component for many essential functions in our brains.
Meditate and Establish Routine
A byproduct of meditation is reducing stress, managing anxiety, and even improving concentration. Performing meditation regularly also teaches us to practice mindfulness and apply it to our everyday lives. Combining meditation with a daily routine will help bring some stability and structure to our lives and keep us focused on our goals.
Focus on Nutrition
In order to , it is absolutely essential to provide your body with the nutrients it needs. Focusing on eating foods that are nutritious and promote health can have positive effects on how your body functions and the way you feel.
Get Enough Sleep
Another key factor in nourishing yourself is getting the right amount of sleep. Getting a good night’s rest is essential for mental clarity and managing stress and emotions. Quality sleep also helps increase focus and boosts your immune system.
Take Time for Yourself
Finally, nourish your mind, body, and soul by allowing for some “me” time. This time may be spent in different ways depending on your preferences, such as reading a book, taking a bubble bath, or simply disconnecting from technology and calmly enjoying some peace and quiet. Finding a balance between taking time for yourself and managing your responsibilities is the key to aiding your growth as a person.
2. A Holistic Approach to Self-Care
Self-care is an important part of living a healthy and balanced life. To ensure that you are taking the best care possible of yourself, it is essential to have a holistic approach. This means attending to your physical health, mental health, emotional wellbeing, and spiritual wellbeing, in order to have a fully rounded approach.
Physical Health: Taking care of your physical health involves exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and respecting your body’s needs. It is important to ensure that you get enough rest and take the necessary time to do activities that keep you feeling strong and healthy.
Mental Health: Paying attention to your mental and emotional health is key to self-care, as it helps you stay grounded and able to cope with life. To keep your mental health in check, be sure to practice visualization, spend time reflecting, and give yourself room to express your feelings and emotions.
Emotional Wellbeing: Be mindful of how you react to stressful situations. Understand that you will feel a range of emotions throughout the day, and don’t let one emotion overwhelm you and cause you negative turmoil. Attend to your personal needs and take time to nurture yourself.
Spiritual Wellbeing: Taking care of your spiritual health means nurturing the relationship between yourself and your beliefs, whatever they may be. Make sure to practice those beliefs and partake in activities that are meaningful to you, while also building relationships with like-minded individuals.
- Be present in the moment and use mindfulness to keep yourself aware of your feelings and needs.
- Take time to nurture yourself and your relationships with yourself and others.
- Do activities that focus on physical health, mental health, emotional wellbeing, and spiritual wellbeing.
- Find a balance between attending to personal needs and connecting with a higher power.
By taking , you are guaranteed to have a better understanding of how to look after yourself holistically, and live a more balanced life.
3. Cultivating a Healthy Mindset
Keeping Focus
Staying focused is sometimes hard to do in this day and age, where distractions are nearly everywhere and the yet-to-be discovered 25th hour in the day can leave us feeling overwhelmed. Here are some tips for keeping your concentration and developing a healthy mindset:
- List out what needs to get done for the day.
- Schedule your tasks in blocks of time.
- Put away your phone and limit what notifications you have.
- Keep a journal of your goals and objectives.
It’s also important to invest in your holistic health to achieve a balanced mindset. Make it a habit to take regular breaks from work or study to include activities which nurture the mind, body, and spirit. Can’t decide how to use your break time? Here are some ideas:
- Listen to music.
- Take a nature walk.
- Brew a cup of the calming tea.
- Stretch or meditate.
- Read a magazine or book.
It’s not easy to cultivate a healthy mindset and maintain it, but it can be done. Research suggests that setting small, achievable goals is the most effective method for staying the course. Give yourself some credit for all of the big and small accomplishments, and always remember to be kind to yourself.
It’s also important to define your terms for success and satisfaction, as these can become benchmarks for your everyday life. After all, taking the time to figure out what brings you joy and fulfillment can help lead you to forming a healthier outlook.
4. Putting Yourself First: The Benefits of Self-Care
Sometimes, we can be our own worst enemies, with our commitments and responsibilities making us abandon our own desires. But it’s important to look after ourselves, too – otherwise we’ll be completely unable to give to those around us. Let’s look at the benefits of self-care.
Physical Health: When we put ourselves first, our bodies usually respond in kind – there will be a big improvement in our physical health. From allocating time for regular exercise to ensuring we get enough sleep, even minor adjustments can pay off dividends.
Mental Health: Start doing activities that you’ll enjoy. Channel your energy towards something positive, so that your mental health can be improved. Self-care will likely bring down your stress levels and boost your overall confidence.
Healthy Boundaries: Knowing how to say ‘no’ is an underrated skill, but it’s also key to taking care of yourself. Accepting too many requests without being aware of the toll this will take on your own wellbeing can inevitable lead to burnout. Learning how to respect your own needs is therefore part of providing self-care.
Resilience: Self-care doesn’t just mean putting aside our responsibilities, but also recharging when we’ve no doubt been depleted by them. When we put ourselves first, we’ll be better equipped to manage our daily needs because we’ve taking the time to reestablish ourselves.
Self-care, when done the right way, can present huge benefits for both our physical and mental wellbeing. Here are some ways to practice self-care:
- Create a routine and stick to it.
- Get your body moving – take a walk, for instance.
- Develop relationships with yourself, and with others.
- Enjoy your favourite hobby.
- Take time off and spend it the way you want.
- Prioritize yourself, even if it’s the last thing on your list.
Holistic self-care is all about prioritizing your wellbeing on every level. It’s a mindful approach to your personal care that emphasizes balance in all aspects of your life. So take the time to check in with yourself, prioritize your mental health, and practice self-love as part of your own path towards holistic self-care. Don’t forget to show yourself kindness and appreciation too. Ultimately, it’s worth it – after all, you deserve it.
