‘Tis the Season for Self-Care
Now that we are fully immersed in fall and quickly approaching winter, it is important that we prioritize our self-care practices now more than ever! I know, I know… Self-care has become such a hot buzzword these days, that pop culture has conditioned us to believe that it is synonymous with lavish spa days. A sort of status symbol that only financially well-off individuals have the privilege of indulging in. Now, don’t get me wrong, we all deserve to be pampered with a little spa day once in a while, AND when I talk about self-care, I am referring to truly taking care of yourself by ensuring your most basic needs are getting met. Some of these basic needs include getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, getting the essential vitamins and nutrients we need, experiencing joyful movement, and experiencing quality social connections.
Self-care is important year-round AND as the days continue to get shorter and the temperatures continue to drop, taking care of yourself can help alleviate symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that typically occurs during the fall and/or winter due to getting less sunlight and vitamin D, which ultimately triggers a chemical change in the brain, leading to symptoms of depression. Additionally, this time of year can also be quite difficult for a lot of folks as they may be navigating holiday plans or grieving the loss of a loved one. While the holidays can be magical for some, it is often incredibly stressful for many! Let’s focus on five dimensions of self-care that can help you navigate this season effectively.
Emotional Self-Care
Emotional self-care means tuning into your emotional awareness and connecting with yourself on a deeper level. It also means acknowledging the things that make you feel good emotionally in order to cultivate more of those experiences while also acknowledging the things that don’t make you feel good emotionally in order to set appropriate boundaries. This does not mean that we should ignore our “difficult” emotions. Instead, we can accept that all of our emotions are simply part of the human experience AND if we listen closely enough we may be able to decipher what our emotions are trying to tell us. Some emotional self-care examples include:
Going to therapy
Journaling
Meditating
Listening to music
Practicing self-compassion
Limiting exposure to the news
Breathing exercises
Practicing gratitude
Setting boundaries
Connecting with a loved one
2. Physical Self-Care
Physical self-care means taking care of all things related to physical health including sleep, movement, nutrition, sexual health and safety. Just like the rest of the dimensions, there is no one-size-fits all approach for physical self-care. We have been taught that only certain exercises or foods are “good” or “healthy” when in reality, what is most important is to listen to your body to determine what serves you and what does not. Some physical self-care examples include:
Taking vitamins (consult with your physician)
Getting sunlight (from the sun or sunlamps)
Going for a walk
Eating foods that make you feel good
Practicing yoga
Getting some extra sleep
Prioritizing personal hygiene
Getting cozy with your significant other
Hydrating yourself
Reducing substances
3. Spiritual Self-Care
Spiritual self-care means tending to the values and beliefs that are important to you and give your life meaning and purpose. Oftentimes society and/or our family of origin tell us what our values “should” be. It is important to note that there is not one right or wrong set of values or beliefs. What’s most helpful is for you to explore your own values and beliefs and determine what gives your life meaning and purpose for yourself. Some spiritual self-care examples include:
Meditating
Gardening
Practicing yoga
Volunteering
Clearing your space
Unplugging from technology
Self-reflection journaling
Exploring your values
Connecting with nature
Going to a place of worship
4. Social Self-Care
Social self-care means engaging in activities that nurture meaningful connections with others. As humans, we are social creatures (yes even YOU, the introvert)! Notice I said meaningful connections. This does not mean that we need to go out and be friends with anyone and everyone. Think quality over quantity in this case. Social self-care also means saying no and setting boundaries when necessary as well. If you are stretching yourself too thin with plans then you are not practicing social self-care. Some social self-care examples include:
Making plans with a friend
Reaching out to a loved one
Visiting local festivals
Saying no to plans you don’t want to do
Planning a date night
FaceTiming a long distance loved one
Joining a book club
Setting boundaries
Analyzing your relationships
Going to trivia night
5. Intellectual Self-Care
Intellectual self-care means we care for our big, beautiful brains by being open to new experiences, change and growth. As humans, we are constantly learning, and it is important that we prioritize our brain health to keep our brains sharp and operational. This means finding a balance between stimulating your brain and giving your brain a break when it needs it. Some examples of intellectual self-care include:
Daydreaming
Learning a new skill
Having in-depth conversations with others
Watching a documentary
Solving a brain teaser
Giving your brain a break
Working on a puzzle
Reading a book
Starting a new hobby
Limiting social media time
I know taking care of ourselves can feel overwhelming, especially given all of our other responsibilities and obligations such as work or school, AND it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Doing any self-care activity is great and with practice you can begin to implement more and more self-care! Even if you only manage to engage in one self-care practice today, perhaps that’s one more than you did yesterday! One idea to ensure you are taking care of yourself might be asking yourself each morning what is one thing for each domain you can commit to doing that day. Below is a template for how you might structure your self-care commitments.
Today’s Self-Care Commitments
Emotional Self-Care: Today I commit to practicing self-compassion.
Physical Self-Care: Today I commit to going for a walk.
Spiritual Self-Care: Today I commit to unplugging from technology.
Social Self-Care: Today I commit to reaching out to a loved one.
Intellectual Self-Care: Today I commit to reading a book.
Self-care requires intentionality –it does not just happen on its own. There can be many barriers for practicing self-care. If you are struggling to incorporate self-care practices into your daily routine, perhaps therapy can be helpful! You and your therapist can explore potential barriers for practicing self-care, discuss ways you can overcome these barriers, collaborate on what self-care practices may benefit you most and even develop a plan for you to begin practicing self-care. Come to think of it, starting therapy is an act of emotional self-care anyway… So maybe you’re even better at it than you think!
