What is self-care and how to do it?

Self-care is taking care of your physical, psychological, spiritual and emotional well being.

Self-care is not being selfish because when you relate with yourself, you relate well with others.

The ultimate aim of self-care is being in the “me first” zone. And to reach there you must start with the “me too” zone — I am also important. If this sounds selfish, remember this.

If you are not well physically, mentally, psychologically and spiritually, you cannot do much for others when they really need you.

Here I share simple ways I have been incorporating self-care in my life, and you can too.

Physical well-being

This is the easiest because the means to achieve it as well as the results are very tangible. You can take steps to get your physical well-being easily and start seeing the results immediately.

Here are some steps to take for physical well-being:

• Exercise every day
• Get enough sleep
• Take medications regularly
• Stick to healthcare appointments

Psychological well-being

Psychological well-being is all about self-compassion and self-acceptance.

The first step towards psychological well-being is to hold a healthy inner dialogue with yourself at least once a day. The dialogue is deemed healthy when you accept your feelings and emotions as they are, without trying to change them or telling yourself they shouldn’t be there. Just acceptance.

Unless you accept yourself as you are, how can you expect others to do so?

If during such inner dialogs you find sometimes your inner feelings are not something you are proud of, you can start with these steps to improve your psychological well-being:

• Always think positive
• Practice mindfulness, that is always be aware of what you are doing at any given point of time
• Be kind to others and help them
• Express gratitude for what you have

Emotional well-being

An emotionally resilient person is able to cope with the emotions they feel. They accept their feelings, process them and do not shy away from expressing it to others.

Here are some activities that can help improve your emotional well-being:

• Daily meditation — Start with 5 minutes a day. Choose a time when you are least distracted and just start. It will be difficult initially, but when you keep at it for days and weeks, slowly you will have tamed your thoughts and emotions.
• Praying to the supreme power you believe in — That could be a thought, an idea, a natural force, an idol, an image, whatever. I have personally experienced that praying gives you mental strength, and hence always recommend it to others.
• Religious activities — Yes, some people find religious activities sit well with them emotionally. If you are one of those, feel free to pursue them as per your wish.
• Talking and connecting with others Connecting and talking to people you love and admire has an immensely positive impact on your emotional well-being. When you feel emotionally drained, try talking to a loved one to recharge yourself. Work every time.

Spiritual well-being

Anything that helps you develop a relationship with the universe and yourself improves your spiritual well-being. Spirituality is a fluid state where you are one with the supreme God and God is one with you.

In Gita, the Lord says you can practise spirituality in three ways — by doing good for others, by talking/reading about God and by giving yourself up to HIS wishes and accepting without any question.

I feel the first method of doing good to others is the easiest way to practise spirituality and this is something that we all can start today.

Final thoughts

Self-care needs for every individual are different. And it’s not even difficult to start on that journey. All you need is the willingness to start.

Here is how you can develop a fully customized self-care plan for yourself:

• Assess your needs
• Consider your stressors
• Plan for challenges that may come up
• Schedule time to focus on your needs
• Devise self-care strategies that would work in the long run
• Start with small steps before you make drastic changes in your lifestyle