17 self-care practices for different areas of your life

“Self-care” is defined as a conscious action that a person takes to improve various aspects of his or her health. It is generally divided into five areas: physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual. Search – improving mood and overall well-being from various healthy practices.

According to the World Health Organization, self-care includes personal factors such as self-confidence, self-efficacy, empowerment, autonomy and personal responsibility. It’s about creating a pause in the daily routine, think about what your body and mind need.

Although self-care practices are not the same for every person, There are a number of recommended actions to promote it. Moreover, this implies a comprehensive view of the described dimensions. That is, combine weekly meditation sessions with physical exercise and an appropriate diet. Let’s take a look at which activities are most recommended for each area of ​​personal care.

Mental self-care

This is linked to taking action to take care of mental health. From a comprehensive point of view, there are many activities involved in this area, such as healthy eating and stress reduction. However, to specifically stimulate it, we can choose the following self-care practices.

1. Learn creative skills

Write, draw or paintBesides being a fun hobby, they have many benefits from an educational point of view. This study highlights their potential role in improving memory. Give yourself time to do some of them, or even take a course to learn the basics.

2. Practice logic games.

Some games, such as Sudoku, affect episodic memory and grammatical thinking. Crosswords and puzzles also provide beneficial cognitive work on vision and space, especially for symptoms of aging. There are many applications available to make this entertainment available on your mobile device.

3. Read a book

Do you know all the benefits of reading? Its practice benefits mental health in a variety of ways. For example, it increases empathy, promotes brain connections, and prevents cognitive decline.

4. Sleep better

Sleep hygiene can be approached from a physical and mental self-care perspective. The thing is a healthy daily routine is a positive thing in this regard to combat depression, anxiety and stress.

This is one of the most important self-care practices in everyday life. Although people who have difficulty sleeping better may find it difficult to use some general tips:

• Try to ensure silence and little light.
• Maintain a daily routine for getting up and going to bed.
• Avoid nicotine, alcohol and caffeinated products.
• Put away electronic devices at least an hour before bed.
• Ensure adequate space in the room through order and cleanliness.

5. Listen to music

It is an activity that promotes mental health by activating brain structures associated with emotions, thinking and movement. Musical notes, whether produced or heard, involve numerous cognitive processes and emotions.like joy, anger and nostalgia.

---

---

Physical self-care

Another central area of ​​self-care relates to physical well-being. To feel good, it is important to take care of your body by creating healthy habits. For example, exercise, sleep well, eat a balanced diet and practice good hygiene..

1. Exercise

Physical activity has many benefits for the body. For example, strengthen bones and muscles, improve mood, control weight and even reduce the risk of mortality. With this in mind, it is important to include it in your self-care routine.

From this point of view, any exercise can be positive, whether it is for the purpose of burning fat, strengthening muscles or increasing elasticity. For this, look for an activity that motivates you to develop a habit, from strength training to cardiovascular exercises such as running or cycling. You can also choose yoga, Pilates or sports activities such as swimming.

2. Eat a healthy diet

Another central aspect of physical self-care is nutrition, which is directly related to overall health. The way we eat and drink water determines many aspects of our body’s functioning.and even influences how we feel.

Therefore, it is important to eat a balanced diet, which usually includes: fresh vegetables, whole foods, fruits and grains. An even better option is to consult with a nutritionist or dietician who will create a diet based on individual needs and aspirations.

In this sense, it is important to avoid junk food and ultra-processed foods in general. These foods are linked to overweight, obesity, and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

3. Maintain good hygiene

Basic aspects of body hygiene such as regular bathing, brushing teeth, washing hair, and trimming nails are critical to self-care. In addition, it is important to have products that no one shares, such as soap, sponges and brushes.

Emotional self-care

Taking care of your emotional health is also a big part of your overall well-being. The term refers to the various activities we take to enjoy life and the tools we use to solve everyday problems. Some strategies to help with this are to stop and consciously think about how we are feeling. Below we detail some emotional support techniques you should consider.

1. Accept emotions

For many people, identifying current feelings may seem simple. However, others are not used to evoking feelings such as nostalgia, sadness or anger. All emotions are valid and it is better to express them than to suppress them..

2. Find solutions

It’s normal to worry about a specific problem. However, you should not fall into stagnation and negative experiences. Positive emotional health is created by facing adversity and striving to resolve it.

3. Practice reflective disciplines

According to a study published in sciencedailymeditation, Pilates or yoga They are useful for modulating the body’s response to emotional stress.. Learn some Pilates exercises to strengthen your body and incorporate them into your daily routine. You can also download some Programs self-help to improve self-esteem and well-being.

Spiritual Self-Care

Although spirituality is about emotional concern, it is about the inner beliefs and meanings that each person attaches to it. It can be defined as a form of self-care that uses teachings and experiences of a spiritual nature as a source of control over stress and crises.

1. Find your spiritual path

Traditional religions embrace self-care in this area for many people. All in all, through practices such as prayer, love of neighbor, volunteering or sacred readings.

However, spirituality does not only pass through such cults. There are many beliefs, monotheistic or polytheistic. it can lead you to inner peace.

2. Practice meditation

Another way to gain spiritual health is meditation. According to research from the University of Valladolid, this has demonstrated improving the quality of life of people who practice it constantly.

3. Connect with nature

Spending time in nature, breathing fresh air and listening to sounds has benefits such as reducing stress and improving your mood. Except, It is an environment conducive to reflection, meditation and spiritual seeking.

---

---

Social self-care

The final dimension to self-care practice relates to living in community. Humans are a social creature and the following steps can be taken to maintain balance in this area.

1. Meet with friends and/or family

Developing relationships with loved ones is part of social health. In addition to possible fights or specific conflicts, it is important maintain connections that are important to us and give us pleasant moments at every meeting.

2. Work on empathy

Social relationships do not mean agreeing on everything or always thinking the same way. Actually, Each person has their own beliefs and may disagree, but it is important to do so with empathy and respect.. Try to discuss ideas without resorting to personal attacks or hate speech.

3. Go to social events

Chat with people you know and strangers at places like concerts, festivals, or clubs. This is an important social self-care practice.

Know your self-care needs

In short, each person attaches personal meaning to self-care practices. This can be considered any activity that promotes good health and improves physical and mental well-being. Determine the essentials for your routine and You will notice benefits such as decreased fatigue, greater happiness, and more energy for everyday life..