6 Types of Self-Care and Ways to Practice Them  

Self-care is essential. Regularly taking time out for yourself in simple and small ways to take care of yourself is significant for your well-being. When you practice self-care it produces positive feelings which increase self-esteem and offers you energy to support yourself as well as your loved ones. There are several types of self-care depending on your specific need at the time. Here in this article, we will read about 6 types of self-care and ways to practice them. I believe we should practice a little bit of each.

Emotional Self-Care

Emotional self-care means becoming more aware of your emotional aspect. It is about checking up on you, becoming mindful of your thinking patterns and triggers, and finding ways to work on them. This self-care helps you to be more compassionate to yourself and your emotions.

• Writing down things can help to understand them better.

• It is okay to say no and set boundaries.

• Practice meditation.

• Be creative – do things that help you channel your emotions.

• Work on positive self-talks.

Physical Self-Care

Physical self-care does not mean exercise and workouts. In today’s world, these are intimidating words as you don’t have the time to make a habit of working out in your busy schedule. This self-care should be something that you enjoy. If it feels like an obligation then it is not self-care.

• Eat more healthy fruits and vegetables.

• Drink more water.

• Try to practice yoga for 15-30 minutes.

• Walk during breaks or lunch hours.

• Go for a run or bike ride.

Spiritual Self-Care

Spiritual self-care helps you to find peace within yourself, nourishes your soul, and provides a profound understanding of life beyond yourself. It doesn’t necessarily have to relate to any religion, though it can be religious for some people. The connection and knowledge of something bigger than yourself can help you find meaning and purpose in life. It gives you the courage to overcome difficult times and be hopeful.

• Spend more time with nature.

• Write in a gratitude journal.

• Practice meditation.

Intellectual Self-Care

We tend to neglect our intellectual well-being. This self-care involves you participating in things that you enjoy and also challenges your mind. Intellectual self-care expands your knowledge. It helps you figure out your present strengths and helps you to develop them. This self-care also includes learning a new skill. These are some of the simple ways by which you can take care of your intellectual interests.

• Read a book.

• Watch a documentary on something that interests you.

• Learn a new language.

• Take a course on something you wanted to learn for a long time.  

Sensory Self-Care

Sensory self-care benefits you by nourishing your senses – smell, sight, sound, and touch. It is an effective way to bring your mind to the present time and helps you to lower your stress levels. When we live in the moment, it helps us to cope with the past and the future that we stress about. These are some of the powerful yet simple self-care activities that can help you be more mindful and soothe your overwhelming mind.

• Take a warm bath.

• Walk barefoot on the grass.

• Spend more time with nature, evening walks and clicking pictures of nature.

• Burn a scented candle of your favorite aroma.

• Listen to soothing music.

Social Self-Care

By nature, humans are social beings. We like to feel connected and relatable to others. Social self-care may look distinct for extroverts and introverts. It is due to their difference in comfort levels in different social situations. However, a connection is significant to all of us. This self-care is simple. It is having a support system of individuals we can trust and nourish these relationships. Social self-care is important as in this busy world we tend to get more distant from our loved ones.

• Spend time with friends in your house, café, lunch date, etc.

• Reconnect with an old friend.

• Join gym and yoga, and you can easily connect to people who have similar interests as yours.

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