Your Guide to Genuine Self Care
I know.. self care. It’s all the rage! But why is self care trending in every wellness space these days? And do you really need a dry body brush, acupressure mat and calming, lavender heat pillow (It’s a real thing!) to achieve the ultimate self care?
Is it just a trend?
Self care (this modern, more branded version) began to gain popularity in the recent years. Between our time and energy being more demanding, the overload of information through our phones and the increasing disconnect from ourselves, we are now experiencing, what the experts are calling, ‘wellness deficit disorder.’ This “deficit “ is what originally sparked the wellness revolution in the early 2000s. However, modern wellness has now become another product, another task on our to do list… and the concept of self care another responsibility, obligation or purchase.
Self care, to put it really simply, is taking care of yourself and taking care of your health. It doesn’t have to be complicated or elaborate. To be effective, to help you achieve a better wellbeing, it needs to be a more natural, consistent occurrence in your every day life. Because advising a burnt out college student to take a one-off walk in nature or a tired mom to go get a facial just won’t cut it.
Reminder: You can’t rely on anyone else to be taking care of you, it’s your body and your responsibility. I also love this quote by Katie Reed, “Self care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.”
To simplify self care I broke it down into these four categories and included practical every day ideas to start implementing.
Physical Self Care
Establish a relaxing night time routine - Research sleep hygiene and healthy sleep habits, figure out what you can do for the best quality sleep.
Exercise regularly - Have a walking routine or a different physical activity you can do once a week. Following an exercise video on youtube or joining a fitness class in your area.
Loose meal prep- spend about an hour or two a week to prep food to keep in the fridge for easy meals.
Some examples: washed and prepped lettuce, kale, spinach, herbs, fruits and veggies. A whole grain, grilled chicken, overnight oats, homemade granola…
Really get into your body and skin care - You don’t need expensive products, there are so many excellent homemade body care recipes. Coconut oil for the body, aloe vera for the face, rice water, a flax seed mask, honey and egg hair mask…
Schedule annual doctors visits, dentist etc. - Keep a calendar to ensure you stay up to date on all checkups, blood tests..
Emotional & Mental Self Care
Journal - Start journaling. Journaling helps you understand yourself, your relationship with others and with the world.
Maintain boundaries - Practice being honest about your feelings, allow yourself to say no. (Journaling helps with this.)
Read - Exchange screen time for reading time. Ask around for book recommendations (I have some on my instagram @allmyhealth) Visit your public library or digital public library.
Learn - Continuing to learn out of school is self care for the mind. Read non fiction (blogs, news publications, there are some excellent articles in Vogue, The New Yorker, The Atlantic…) Listen to informative podcasts.
Social Self Care
Start saying yes to more events and outings.
Join a club- A club is a great place to fill your social cup once a week or so. Look for a local community book club/ Mommy and Me..
Host a shabbos meal.
Spiritual Self Care
Set a time in your day to pray.
Learn - on your own, with a learning partner, with your spouse.
Attend lectures or classes - An excellent way to fill up on spiritual and social self care.