10 Tips for Self-Care

If I were to ask you the question, “Do you take care of yourself?” or even better yet, “Do you care about yourself?” I bet most of us would say of course. Then I’d ask, “In what ways do you take care of yourself?” That’s when the question gets difficult to answer. Let's unpack a better understanding of what self-care is and how you can bring it into your life in a more realistic and meaningful way.

What is Self-care?

There are many definitions of what self-care is and through my 20 years of practicing and coaching clients on this, I have come up with my personal definition: Self-care is any activity that we do to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health.

I’ve always believed self-care is something that refuels us, rather than takes from us. There is nothing selfish about self-care; it’s about knowing what we need in order to take care of ourselves better and also take care of others as well. “Fill your cup first so you can fill others around you.”

As psychotherapist Lisa Griffiths said, “The opposite of self-care is self-neglect.” And “neglecting our emotional and physical health leads to increased anxiety, depression and physical illness.”

It’s surprisingly difficult for many of us - the process of stepping aside from our busy and hectic lives and evaluating how we’re doing emotionally, physically and mentally, and then taking the steps to do the necessary things to support ourselves.

Where Do You Start?

1. Stick to the basics. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. It could be as simple as going for a 15-minute walk, reading a book or having a cup of coffee with a friend.
2. Plan and schedule self-care. You can’t just expect it to happen by itself. It’s a choice, so add activities to your calendar, make a weekly plan of things you can add in your daily life and eventually it will be something that you won’t cancel or put off.
3. Eat well and often. Feed your body good food. Simply because you deserve to feel great and have abundant energy and health.
4. Get enough sleep. Research has shown we need 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
5. Create a “no” list. Fill it with things you know that don’t serve you anymore or you no longer want to do. Examples could be not checking emails at night, not attending events that don’t interest you and not answering your phone during lunch or dinner.
6. Exercise and move daily. It’s just as good for our emotional health as it is for our physical health. It increases serotonin levels, leading to improved mood and energy.
7. Stick to the plan. Don’t put off put off regular checkups or visits to your doctor.
8. Use relaxation exercises and practice meditation. You can do these exercises at any time of the day.
9. Do 5-5-5 breathing. This involves breathing in for five seconds, holding for five seconds and then breathing out for five seconds.
10. Spend time wisely. Spend time with people you care about and who and what brings you joy. Look for opportunities to laugh and find gratitude.

Creating self-care is also about creating a mind shift, it’s about elevating yourself to another level of well-being that will profoundly change your health but also your life.