Self-care is often easier said than done, but a lot of times it can be hard to define what self-care even is. Self-care has become a buzzword in our culture, but the act of self-care is never really clarified. I think this is because self-care is not a one-size-fits-all. One might find running outside to be a great form of self-care whereas I groan when I must do any form of cardio. So where do we even begin? Well, first I want to highlight the many challenges to making self-care a practice within daily life.

For starters, it is important to note that there are both personal and occupational challenges that stand in the way of self-care. A personal challenge towards self-care can simply be a feeling of selfishness. For me, my childhood was always on the move, there was no rest until all the chores were done. If there was a chance for relaxation that moment was plagued by thoughts such as; “Why are you wasting time sitting around?, You could be utilizing your time much more efficiently, don’t be lazy, or there is so much that needs to be done.” This leads to the other common personal challenge that I face regarding self-care, time. When I think of self-care, I often think that I do not have adequate time or that the time I do spend engaging in self-care is not an efficient use of my time.

Now that we have covered just two common challenges to self-care (and there are more than two), let us talk about the different types of self-care. According to Bush (2015) there are two types of self-care: micro and macro. Macro self-care is categorized in three dimensions: healthcare, balance and treats. Health Care includes sleep, exercise and diet. Sleep affects how we manage the daily activities in our lives. There are six key factors which affect sleep: environment, napping, the use of your bed for sex and sleep only, consistent bedtime schedule, stimulants/depressants and exercise. Take a minute to reflect on these six areas, do you think they are helping or hurting your sleep?

The next most important element of health care is exercise. Exercise is vitally important and has many benefits on the human body, from helping with stress to increasing energy. I want to note that I do not mean you have to attend a two-hour weightlifting class each day. Although you would probably benefit from it the truth is that is just not feasible for most people. So, start small, take a walk around the block and even invite a friend to come along so you do not get bored. Finally, diet is essential to achieving good health care. Achieving good nutrition is different for every person and begins with learning how your body responds to different food and drinks.

The second dimension of Macro self-care is balance which includes: relationships, hobbies, community and spirituality. All these aspects of balance help to create stability. When we are healthy and stable then we can build healthy and stable relationships with others. These healthy relationships are found within community. Community is where we receive emotional support. Communities can be found just about anywhere from in-person to online. There is a Facebook group for just about every community out there. In order to further the pursuit of balance, hobbies are needed to help ground us. Maybe this means yoga, fishing, drawing or dance. Not sure what your hobby is? Then try something new.

Finally, Bush (2015) describes the importance of spirituality when it comes to balance by stating that “if you open yourself to spirituality in your life, you invite the possibility of faith that can fuel your sense of meaning in the world around you (p. 11).” The third and final dimension of Macro self-care is treats. Treats look different for every individual. Personally, I love a Starbucks caramel macchiato or splurging on a new book when I already have hundreds at home. Regardless, the core purpose of treats is self-appreciation. By treating ourselves we are saying “I love me and I deserve this.”

I hope this has given you some ideas about what self-care is. Our bodies do hard work and it deserves to be cared for.

Kayla Droscha | MA, LLPC