What comes to mind when you hear the word self-care? Do you picture a relaxing massage after a long day? A glass of wine in your hands while you soak in a bubble bath? Or maybe you envision yourself on a vacation free from all your responsibilities and stress?

While all of those activities would be classified as self-care, it is important to note that it encompasses more than just relaxing at the beach.

The reality is that even after a good facial and bubble bath, you can still experience stress from other aspects of your life that can’t be fixed with a facial and bubble bath. In order to truly take care of ourselves, we must address all aspects of our lives, not just the ones we can see.

What Is Self-care?

When you search for a definition online, you’ll find that self-care is often defined in terms of physical health. World Health Organization has had many working definitions for self-care over the years and has finally settled on this one:

“Self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider”

WHO

A previous definition, by WHO, highlighted self-care as something people do to maintain health and prevent and deal with illness with a wide range of factors contributing to it, including hygiene (general and personal), nutrition (the types and quality of food eaten), lifestyle (sports and leisure), environment (living conditions, social habits, etc.), socio-economic factors (income level, cultural beliefs, etc.) and self-medication.

Despite the changing definitions, self-care encompasses more than physical well-being. What good is a strong body if your mind is weak? What is your likelihood of being productive in a messy environment? Without a purpose, how can one be motivated?

All of these factors contribute to your well-being and thus must be considered as part of your self-care routine so as to promote overall health.

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Different Dimensions of Self-care

As mentioned above, self-care comes in different forms, these can include taking care of your hygiene to creating a clean and cozy environment.

You can even say that there are different dimensions of self-care, these include: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, financial, environmental, professional, and many more…

In this post, I want to focus on 8 dimensions and give you activities you can incorporate into your life:

1. Physical Self-Care Ideas

Physical self-care activities involve activities that improve your well-being allowing you to get the most out of your body. These activities help you rejuvenate and recharge so you can avoid fatigue or stress. Adding these to your daily routine impacts your health and overall well-being.

2. Emotional Self-Care Ideas

Emotional wellness includes developing an awareness of your feelings and your response to everyday interactions. This awareness allows you to better manage your emotions.

3. Spiritual Self-Care

Spiritual self-care activities nurture your spirit and help you be in tune with your Maker. Engaging in these activities helps us reinforce our belief in God, strengthens the Holy Spirit, and allows us to get closer to God.

1. Fast
2. Pray
3. Meditate
4. Volunteer
5. Read your bible
6. Practice gratitude
7. Spend time in nature
8. Help someone in need
9. Guard your heart against shows and music that can corrupt you
10. Worship by yourself or with others

4. Mental Self-Care Ideas

Mental self-care includes activities that stimulate your mind and challenge your thinking.

1. Write
2. Read a book
3. Visit the museum
4. Try a new hobby
5. Listen to a podcast
6. Do something that challenges your mind
7. Practice mindfulness and positive thinking

5. Environmental Self-Care Ideas

You can practice environmental self-care by creating an environment that promotes productivity and feels like a safe haven for you and your family.

1. Make your bed each morning
2. Do a DIY project around your home
3. Clean up your space
4. Buy fresh flowers
5. Deep clean your home
6. Create a calming environment using music and candles
7. Declutter and organize your space
8. Clean and organize your fridge and pantry
9. Brighten your space with plants and beautiful decor
10. Explore somewhere new like a different coffee shop or restaurant…

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6. Financial Self-Care Ideas

Financial wellness involves learning how to manage your finances effectively. If your money is not managed properly, you may experience stress and other problems, so it is crucial that you take care of your money as well.

1. Create a monthly budget so you know where your money goes
2. Track your spending
3. Meet with a financial advisor and assess your finances
4. Start building a solid emergency fund
5. Learn how to manage your money by reading books like, Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole
6. Read books like Rich Dad Poor Dad that challenge your mindset about money
7. Enroll in courses that teach about money and building wealth
8. Stop wasting money on things you don’t need
9. Set clear financial goals and track them
10. Listen to financial/money-related podcasts
11. Say no to eating out and learn how to meal plan and prepare your own meals
12. Reward yourself for financial goals you’ve accomplished
13. Find ways to earn more so you can accomplish your goals
14. Start investing so you can grow your money
15. Tackle debt so you have more money to spend on things you like

7. Social Self-Care Ideas

The concept of social wellness centers on building and nurturing meaningful relationships with others. The process encourages communication, trust, and conflict management by creating boundaries. It is also important to respect others, oneself, and other cultures in order to maintain social wellness.

1. Ask for help
2. Meet new friends
3. Have a girls’ night out
4. Set healthy boundaries
5. Go on a trip with your girlfriends
6. Write letters to a pen-pal

8. Professional Self-Care Ideas

Occupational wellness allows you to explore various career options and encourages you to pursue the opportunities you enjoy the most. This dimension of well-being recognizes the importance of satisfaction, enrichment, and meaning through work.

1. Enroll in a course
2. Learn a new skill
3. Learn something new
4. Clean out your email inbox
5. Explore new opportunities
6. Organize your workspace
7. Attend a seminar/conference

Final Thoughts…

As you can see from this list of 100+ self-care ideas, self-care can and should come in many forms.

Some of these ideas may be hard to implement but they are vital to your overall wellness. Don’t ignore reviewing your finances for a soak in the tub. The latter may be more relaxing but doing the former will ensure you can afford the products you need to get a good soak.

One way you can ensure that you are tackling every aspect of your life is by doing a self-care challenge.

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