When you hear the word ‘self-care,’ what comes to mind? For many, practicing self-care seems selfish (more on that here) or something there’s never any time for.
According to research, those who practice self-care often feel less stressed and experience a higher quality of life. With that, it’s important to note that this type of positive shift often comes from having a holistic self-care practice. A practice that encompasses your mind, body, and spirit to create a happier, healthier you.
Chances are you’ve heard this word used before, but what does it really mean?
By definition, holistic means relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.
That means that a holistic self-care practice encompasses your entire being, as mentioned above. We cannot seek to improve parts of ourselves without addressing and taking inventory of our whole self. That’s where holistic self-care can help.
When it comes to a holistic self-care practice, it’s important to note that there are three parts to self-care: physical, emotional, and spiritual. These three types of self-care can combine to create your unique holistic self-care practice.
Unique is a very important word when it comes to self-care because we all have different needs and requirements for happiness. Digging in and discovering what’s important to your wellbeing is essential, all while keeping in mind that your self-care practice could look completely different than your friend’s.
That’s the beauty of self-care.
To create a well-rounded holistic self-care practice, focus on adding in components from each of the three self-care types.
This form of self-care involves taking care of your physical body. Working out, eating well, going to the dentist, and more all fall under the category of physical self-care.
Read next: Four Simple and Fulfilling Self-Care Ideas
While emotional self-care is often overlooked, the benefits are powerful. Practicing emotional self-care can look like communicating your needs, setting boundaries with yourself and others, and working to understand feelings and emotions.
Read next: Easy Ways to Practice Emotional Self-Care
Having a spiritual component to your self-care practice is essential. A spiritual self-care practice can allow you to tap into your higher self and discover who you are at your core. You can cultivate this practice by meditating, tapping into a like-minded community, and paying close attention to the energy around you.
Read next: How to Practice Spiritual Self-Care for the Soul
No matter how you choose to practice self-care, it’s essential to remember that self-care is more powerful when it’s filled with truly supportive activities, not just because you feel like you should do them.
For example, if you genuinely despise sitting down to meditate, try getting up and going for a walk. Using movement as a form of meditation is still a powerful way to clear your mind and feel more grounded than before. Focus on finding practices that feel accessible and sustainable, and remember that self-care doesn’t have to be complicated.
Deepen your holistic self-care practice with the Holistic Self-Care Guided Journal. Inside you’ll find 100 thought-provoking, evidence-based self-care practices spanning five categories to help you create holistic health and wellbeing.
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