As a mom, taking care of yourself can be hard. It can become second nature to ensure that everyone else is being taken care of, often losing sight of the importance of looking out for your own needs. 

It is so vital as moms that we take care of ourselves as simplistically as possible. Most of our days are filled with the mental load of managing motherhood and everything that comes along with it. 

We need to take care of the vessel that allows us to take care of everyone and everything else. 

There are 5 areas of self-care that are detrimental in supporting a healthy and happy vessel. This includes; physical self-care, emotional self-care, social self-care, environmental self-care, and spiritual self-care. 

If we can take care of ourselves in these 5 ways, we can show up for our family and friends as our best self, which benefits everybody. 

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is anything that you do that promotes your physical, mental, and emotional health. 

Many of us assume that self-care is some sort of self-indulging habit that makes you abundantly happy. An extravagant way to feel good instantly. That’s not what self-care is. 

Self-care is any mindful act that promotes one’s personal health.

Self-care is so simple. Don’t fall into the trap that self-care is a lavish spa day, a week long vacation, a weekly massage, or a trip to the salon. Even though all of those things can be a form taking care of yourself, those are not the only ways to practice self-care. 

Self-care is more than just treating yourself. Self-care is not a reward. Self-care is practicing taking care of yourself. You do so much. You take care of so many. You need to spend time each day taking care of you.

Why We Need To Make Time For Self-Care

As women we instinctively take care of everyone and everything. That is why it is so important that we take the time to focus on self-care and maintain a healthy relationship with ourselves. Consciously acting to stay healthy is what self-care is all about.

If we feed into the idea that self care is an elaborate event made to indulge ourselves in what we believe we are lacking, we will feed into the industry that is neglecting what self care truly is- taking care of yourself.

Many of us are in complete denial about what we need to do to take care of ourselves. We start our day with caffeine and chaos and we end our day with netflix and our phone. 

You may worry that you don’t have enough time to practice self-care, or you may think self-care is just another unrealistic fad that is shared on social media. Making the time to take care of yourself is going to add to your physical and emotional availability. The idea is shared so widely because of just how life changing it is.

The 5 Areas of Self-Care We Need to Practice

Physical

The first type of self-care that is hugely important is physical self care. You have to take care of your physical being in order to take care of everything else in your life. Your body and everything that you do to it allows you to be the person you are today.

Taking care of your body on the inside and outside is essential in order for you to be the person you want to be. Whether that may mean you want to be a better mother, a better spouse, or a better entrepreneur, you must take care of your physical being in order to thrive in all aspects of your life. 

Physical self care will restore your body. Restoring your body will lead to restoring your mind. Restoring your mind will allow you to restore your environment, your relationships, and your spirituality. 

Your body was made to move. Whether it be walking, running, yoga, pilates, or dancing with your kids on your kitchen floor, movement will restore your body and movement is self-care.

I have struggled in the past believing that the movement I was partaking in wasn’t actually benefiting me. I am not someone who exercises, I haven’t found the passion for it. However, I do love to go for walks, hike, play with my kids outside, and dance (not that I’m any good at it). No matter what it is, your movement creates endorphins, endorphins make you feel good. 

Now, I’ve seen a lot of self care tips that include exercising, which can be almost completely free and only take a short amount of time. However, I have seen a lot of encouragement for massages and spa days as self care. Most of us would love to have a massage or spend a day at the spa, but let’s get real, the majority of us do not have the money or the time for a massage or spa day on a regular basis. 

All this is to say, physical self care does not have to be expensive or include anyone else. Stretching, deep breathing, or taking a walk are all forms of physical self care. Putting on lotion, washing your face, brushing your hair and teeth, are also forms of physical self-care. Make it a priority to do the little things that nourish your body, it doesn’t have to be extravagant.

Emotional

Emotional self care is the practice of cultivating, protecting, maintaining and improving your emotional and mental health. 

We all know how our emotions have the power to take charge in every area of our life. Your emotional state is so important in how you show up for yourself and your family. Figuring out your emotional needs and nurturing your feelings will enable you to get through tough situations.

There are many ways we can take care of our emotions, strengthening happy emotions and overcoming difficult emotions. Being in touch with your emotional dialogue, your inner voice, will better equip you in handling difficult times.

Journaling each day can strengthen your awareness to your inner self. It’s important not to ignore and hide your emotions. Journaling is an outlet enabling you to get your thoughts out onto paper. 

Practicing self reflection will allow you to learn your emotional triggers. Once you allow yourself to process your emotions, you will have the ability to find patterns between your emotions and your actions. Knowing your triggers will allow you to avoid situations that provoke negativity. Check out this article I wrote about staying positive.

Practicing gratitude is another wonderful tool to care for your emotional well being. When we are taking the time to find the positivity that surrounds us, pinpointing our blessings, we are opening our minds to observe just how amazing life is.

Journaling, self reflection, practicing gratitude, and meditation are powerful forms of emotional self-care.

Honoring your emotions will allow you to be more intune with your inner self. Learning what works for you in the good times and the tough times will set you up for success in taking care of your entire self.

Social

Taking care of yourself in a social aspect is very important to your overall well being. Human beings are herd animals. We are meant to be with others, we suffer from isolation and loneliness. 

Connecting with other humans provides us with feelings of love and understanding. Connecting with other humans creates community and commonality. 

For some of us, socializing is easy and fun, and for others it can be intimidating or stressful. Finding how you best socialize is essential. You may benefit by spending quality time eating out with a group of friends or you may find yourself happier messaging back and forth with an online friend. Whatever it is, it is important to find social support in your daily life.

It can be easy to neglect time with your friends and distant family but it is important to nurture these relationships. Social activities that you can partake in include; calling or visiting relatives, hosting a dinner, volunteering in your community, going on a date, meeting your neighbors, or attending an event.

When we are practicing social self-care it is important to not only focus on maintaining and growing our personal relationships but that we are also setting healthy boundaries in social settings. 

Limiting the time we spend on social media is one way we can set healthy social boundaries. Even though social media may be beneficial in ways, it can also be harmful to our overall health. Taking a social media detox is a great way to practice setting social boundaries.

Spiritual

Spirituality carries different meanings for different people, some people may associate spirituality with religion, however you do not have to be religious to take care of your spiritual self.

Spiritual self-care is the practice of connecting to something larger than yourself, connecting to your source. This type of self-care is any ritual that you partake in that signifies your connection with that higher power, whether that be religiously or otherwise. For some that may be your connection with God and for others that may be your connection to nature or the universe.

A very sacred form of spiritual self-care for many is prayer. If you are religious, prayer is a positive practice that can be done daily to nurture your relationship with your spirituality.

You may or may not be a religious person however, connecting with your source of faith and hope is a form of self-care you should be practicing.  

Being part of and connecting to a faith community can also be a great way to take care of your spiritual self. Finding community can make you heard, seen, and understood. Many people in a faith community are encouraging, kind, and helpful. Finding a faith community may be a huge benefit for your life.

Praying, saying affirmations, reading a spiritual or religious book,  and connecting with nature are all forms of spiritual self care you can practice today.

Environmental

Environmental self-care is all about creating an environment for yourself that promotes your mental well being.

Motherhood in general is loud, rambunctious, and chaotic. We are constantly dealing with loud children and messy situations. It can be overwhelming and stressful. One thing that you can do to care for yourself is to care for your environment. 

It’s hard to keep your mind clear and clutter free if your environment is messy and cluttered. I know that when my house is a chaotic disaster, my mind is a chaotic disaster. One way that you can show up for yourself is to maintain a clean and organized environment. Creating order around you can create order within you.

You can benefit from placing routines in your daily life that include taking care of the surroundings in which you spend the majority of your time. 

Creating sacred spaces is also a great way to practice environmental self-care. Creating a space that is sacred to you, that allows you to decompress or relax can be a huge asset. A sacred space can include a space in your house that is just for you or a walking trail that you walk by yourself.

The Importance of Self-Care

The topic of self-care is highly discussed nowadays. It’s no wonder that women everywhere are getting versed in the importance of self care.

As women we are learning the importance of showing up for yourself everyday. The ways that we practice self-care vary, but the root of why we practice little tasks throughout our day in order to take care of ourselves is the same. The truth is we all deserve to have someone take care of us, and we can start by taking care of ourselves.

Support your mood, increase your energy, and make yourself feel good!

Every person is unique and not everyone will benefit from the same self-care actions, what type of things do you do on the daily to take care of you?