Self-Care is for Everyone

Finding New Ways to Live Better, Feel Better, and Age Better

The term self-care has been used a lot lately, but what does it really mean? To many, it can feel a little self-indulgent, but really, self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, feel well, and live your life to the fullest. There isn’t a set definition or standard of practice when it comes to self-care, because it is unique to each person that practices it. What may feel rejuvenating and relaxing to some, like getting a message, may feel awkward to others. So how do you know what works best for you? Join our care team as we explore different types of self-care practices to help you age well, live well, and feel well.

The Five Types of Self-Care

To determine what types of self-care are best for your lifestyle, it’s important to understand the main categories of self-care. There are five key types including:

Physical Self-Care

There is a strong connection between your body and your mind so as you care for your body, it will help you think and feel better too. Physical self-care can include nutrition (how you’re fueling your body), exercise (what kinds of physical activity you’re doing) and caring for your physical needs (going to healthcare appointments, taking your medications, etc.). (VeryWellMind)

Activities can include:

Adding daily movement to your routine

Attending regular checkups with your doctor

Eating healthfully

Taking a walk outside

Social Self-Care

Socialization is an incredibly important component to self-care, but often, one of the hardest to pursue. Social self-care is building close connections with others to feel a sense of community and belonging. This could be with family members or friends. (VeryWellMind)

Activities can include:

Planning dates with your loved one

Joining a local club

Using social media to connect with old friends

Having video chats to stay connected

Mental Self-Care

The way you think and how you occupy your mind have a major influence on your psychological well-being. Mental self-care is as much about doing things to help you stay mentally healthy like practicing self-compassion and acceptance as it is about staying sharp by doing things like puzzles or reading. (VeryWellMind)

Activities can include:

Practicing meditation

Doing activities that feel comforting

Finding a therapist or councilor

Journaling

Spiritual Self-Care

This is more about nurturing your spirit than it is about any type of religion. Going to church can be a great way of practicing self-care if that is part of your belief system, but spiritual self-care can also involve anything that helps you develop a deeper sense of meaning, understanding, or connection with the world around you. (VeryWellMind)

Activities can include:

Attending a church service

Practicing meditation

Practicing yoga

Connecting with others

Emotional Self-Care

finding ways to manage uncomfortable emotions like anger, anxiety, and sadness are key to practicing emotional self-care. Emotional self-care is about building emotional resiliency though activities like expressing your emotions to loved ones, setting aside time for leisure activities to help you process emotions, or even having a scream when you need it. (VeryWellMind)

Activities can include:

Sharing feelings regularly

Prioritizing your needs

Advocating for yourself

Joining social groups

Building Better Routines

Now that we know the five types of self-care, it should be easier to identify the things you’re already doing. It’s likely that you’re practicing self-care without even knowing it! Try thinking through your regular daily routine and see if any of your activities can be categorized using the list above. Then, take a look at which categories aren’t being met and see what small changes you can make to practice better self-care in those areas. Try to avoid all or nothing thinking when approaching your self-care. Every little bit helps!

Finding Better Help

Aging, managing chronic illness, or recovering from injury or surgery can create obstacles to practicing self-care. If you find that you need a little extra help sticking to your daily routines, managing your home, making your appointments, or even getting in physical activity, check out our services! Our trained in-home caregivers are a great way to help you stay independent, stay healthy, and stay happier@home!