6 types of self-care: why they are important and how you can practise them
Regularly making the time and effort to take care of ourselves is essential for our wellbeing and the prevention of lifestyle diseases. And, no, it’s not selfish or self-indulgent. The more we nurture ourselves, the better we can take care of others and give energy to the things we care about.
What is self-care?
According to the World Health Organisation, self-care is “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider”. Although this definition is useful, it focuses primarily on physical health. I would argue that self-care is broader than this and involves tuning in to our needs and making a deliberate and conscious choice to meet them. As the psychologist Agnes Wainman explained, self-care is “something that refuels us, rather than takes from us”.
Self-care can encompass many different activities and for the purpose of this article, I have grouped them into six different types. Since our needs will fluctuate with time, we will need to adapt our self-care activities as well. However, it’s important not to completely neglect some types of self-care because we can benefit from incorporating a bit of each in our lives.
6 Types of Self-Care
The moment self-care starts to feel like an obligation or unrealistic, the more likely you will resist it and it will end up causing you more stress rather than reducing it. Therefore, for each of these categories, think about the types of self-care that you could consistently incorporate into your daily and weekly routine and, ideally, also find enjoyable.
Physical
When people think of self-care, they tend to think of the physical kind. Although looking after your body is a significant aspect of self-care, this does not mean that you need to do a 60 minute HIIT session followed by a luxury spa treatment.
Instead, ask yourself what little things you can do in your day-to-day life that could contribute to your physical well-being. For example, could you drink a bit more water each day? Or get up from your desk every hour for a quick stretch or walk around the office?
Emotional
Emotional self-care is about being aware of your emotions and taking the necessary steps to honour and nurture them. Essentially it’s about regularly checking in with yourself, being more mindful of your patterns and triggers, and finding ways of processing and expressing your emotions (instead of suppressing or ignoring them). Some activities that can help you notice and express your emotions (whatever they may be!) include journaling, practising mindfulness, or talking to someone about how you feel. Emotional self-care is not always easy or comfortable, but it can help you become more resilient when faced with challenges.
Mental
Mental self-care is about feeling clear-headed and able to engage in the things that you enjoy or challenge your mind. For example, listening to a podcast, reading, or watching a documentary. This form of self-care also involves identifying and developing your interests and strengths as well as learning new skills. Mental self-care is often overlooked because it can take a lot of effort and the results are not as visible as other forms of self-care (e.g. physical self-care). However, engaging and expanding your mind can help you feel accomplished and energised.
Practical
Practical self-care is a bit of an umbrella term for all of the practical ways that can help make your life less stressful, including looking after your finances and taking care of your environment. For example, decluttering can help clear your mind so you can be more productive. Or a financial planning app can help you keep on top of your finances and reduce financial stress. I won’t lie, this form of self-care can be boring, but when done right it can also free up a lot of time and energy for other things you enjoy.
Social
We are, by nature, social beings. We want to feel connected and like we belong. However, depending on our personality and preferences, how we achieve this differs. Introverts might prefer to have one close friend over for dinner while extroverts may need to be part of a group to achieve this sense of connection. Whatever your level of comfort in social situations, healthy connections and boundaries are important to our overall wellbeing and happiness. So we should try to communicate our needs clearly and before we say yes to a social engagement, check in with ourselves to see whether it's something we want.
Spiritual
Spiritual self-care is about cultivating a deeper sense of calm, connection, and meaning which extends beyond yourself. Depending on your beliefs, this may or may not mean religion, but importantly it is about finding meaning and purpose in life. Spirituality can help you find inner peace, give you courage and hope in difficult times, build social support, and ease psychological and emotional distress.
Takeaways
Instead of being selfish, nurturing and taking care of ourselves is essential to our wellbeing.
Self-care can be broken down into six different categories and we can benefit from practising a bit of each in our lives.
Since there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to self-care, how we go about looking after ourselves will look different for each of us.
What is important is that you establish a regular self-care routine that works for you.
If you would like to assess how you are currently doing in each type of self-care and explore new self-care ideas, check out the ‘Wheel of Self-Care’ and ‘Self-Care Ideas’ worksheets in my free resources.