The Dimensions of Self Care

Self care is a hot topic at the moment. It’s becoming ever more important to look after yourself and your wellbeing. How many of us really know how, or when to switch off? What is self care anyways and why is self care so important?

There are 5 elements to self care, and they’re all fairly straight forward and should be used a daily reminder to ourselves. We should be asking ourselves the question of am I fulfilling these elements on a daily basis. If we don’t look after ourselves, then how can we expect others to? Or look after others?

A few months ago I had a few sessions of DBT (Dialectical behaviour therapy) which is a type of cognitive behaviour therapy. They were one to one sessions and it really hit home how important self care was. Not only that, but how I was lacking in my own self care.

SPIRITUAL

Don’t get spiritual self care confused with religion. It has nothing to do with religion and you don’t need to be religious to practice this type of self care.

Spiritual self care is looking after your soul and your higher self. It’s anything meaningful to you. It’s looking at the real you, as a person.

It looks after your beliefs and values in life that make you the person you are. We all have our own values, and should stick to them without feeling pressurised otherwise.

I for one know that although sometimes you can feel like you’re at your peak in terms of health, there’s still something going on deep down or in the background. Iron this out before it starts affecting your health, take the steps needed to look after yourself.

PHYSICAL

Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you this type of self care is about your diet and weight, because it isn’t.

It’s about respecting your body enough to look after it. Going for walks, or going to the gym, making sure you’re getting enough sleep. Although many of us may dread the idea of going to the gym, you don’t need to be super-fit or self conscious about going. Take it in your own stride. Watch Netflix whilst on the cross trainer, or listen to a podcast whilst on the bike.

Physical self care also covers the basics such as ensuring you’re keeping up with checkups – dental, doctor appointments, smears tests (ladies!).

INTELLECTUAL

This is the main area of self care that I’ve personally been trying to develop myself. It’s about educating yourself, learning new skills, falling back in love with hobbies for example, and having a positive mindset.

I remember years back I used to love reading books – thriller and crime books. Then suddenly, I just stopped reading, out came Netflix and that was my train journey into work. I’ve now started going back to the library, renting out a few books and reading these on my journey to work. It takes me over an hour to get into work, and I find not looking at my phone for this duration so helpful.

It’s also turning negative thoughts into positive. Not always thinking the worst of things but trying to find a positive out of it. I’m not going to sit here and advocate that I’m part of the positivity police. There are certainly times when things can get to me, but it’s finding the balance.

SOCIAL

This is an important one, especially with modern day life. Look through your Facebook/Twitter/ any other form of social media – mute those who aren’t a great influence on your life. Harsh, but needs to be done.

Create a support network of people you want to surround yourself with. Those same people will be those you can rely on, and they can rely on you. It creates a sense of acceptance, and value.

When talking to these people spend the time guiding and uplifting them when they need it. It’ll make you feel fabulous too.

EMOTIONAL

From someone who absolutely hated showing any emotion whatsoever, I’ve embraced it. If you’ve upset me, I won’t hide it anymore. But on the flip side, if I’m happy, I’ll show it.

Being kind to yourself and allowing yourself to be in touch with your emotions and feelings. It allows you to de-stress and take the time to figure out what your emotions mean, and take the necessary steps where needed.

It also allows you to share your experiences with others, who may need guidance, such as those in your support circle.