What is self-care?

Practicing self-care is of great importance in order to have a healthy and regulated life. With accelerated daily lives and routines, many people end up forgetting to exercise this type of action, which aims to establish good practices in their daily lives that make them happier, satisfied and that also bring benefits to their health.

It is important then, in the midst of work, home and other routines, to create a self-care routine to ensure that stress and other problematic situations of everyday life do not affect your health both physically and mentally. Learn a little more about self-care practices!

Meaning of self-care

Self-care is an essential practice for the positive development of an individual's physical and emotional health. There are several ways to perform this practice on a daily basis that will greatly enhance your life in general.

Thus, as the name already suggests, self-care is an action of giving more attention to yourself, performing practices that favor you in various aspects of your life, physical, mental and emotional. Understand more about self-care!

Definition of self-care

The definition of self-care is the attention dedicated to oneself and one's needs in various areas of life. The main point highlighted by this practice is the fact that individuals need to somehow recognize their needs, in physical, emotional and mental fields, so that they can perform practices that improve these points in their lives.

Identification is essential, as it is from this that you can understand more where to apply your dedication and efforts to bring improvements to your day to day life.

Self-care and beauty

There are several ways to practice self-care, as highlighted, because it is necessary to favor the areas of your life in general, so that everything comes into balance and the individual lives a healthy and full life.

Beauty is also a way to exercise self-care, so many people follow daily beauty care routines, such as with skin, hair and other aspects. This kind of self-care is important because it brings confidence and self-esteem to people, who feel more satisfied with their appearances.

Goal of self-care

The goal of self-care, in general terms, is to ensure a healthier life with distinct care. It is not only an important practice, but it is essential to live in a better way, because many people end up giving it up due to their busy routines and lack of time for that, and the consequences soon appear, in various ways.

Obligations take up a lot of most people's time, and so it's important to always map out a plan and dedicate a space in your days to carry out this self-care.

What is not self-care

In addition to understanding what can be self-care and that thus favors your life in various aspects, it is also important to understand that some practices do not serve as self-care at all. This is because if this becomes a forced practice and that does not give you pleasure, it is only being fulfilled out of pure obligation, thus, it cannot be considered self-care.

Everything that somehow sucks your energy and leaves you unmotivated cannot be put as self-care. On the contrary, this is a practice that always aims to recharge your energy and give more strength so that the obligatory activities of life are taken in an easier way.

Self-care as an option

Despite being something essential to live well and have physical and psychological conditions to face different situations in life, self-care cannot be something imposed. As highlighted, it needs to be a pleasurable activity, different from the daily obligations of one's life.

Therefore, this is an option that everyone has, which should be evaluated according to the conditions of each one, whether financial or time. Self-care plans should be drawn counting on these aspects, so that they do not become a burden. And only you can decide to exercise these practices or not.

Types of self-care

Thus, there are several types of self-care that can favor your life and bring more satisfaction. Most people justify the lack of self-care with the time, which becomes restricted due to the various activities that must be performed daily.

But some small things can become part of this practice and will bring a sense of satisfaction into your life. So self-care can be done in many ways, both emotional, physical and even intellectual. All of these practices are important in their own way, and can generate very positive results for your life.

How to practice emotional self-care

Emotional self-care, as the name suggests, is the practice that aims to satisfy and reassure your emotional side in the midst of the daily rush. Many people end up leaving aside this issue by lack of time, but it is of great importance that emotional health is taken care of as well as the physical with attention and good practices.

An important tip to perform emotional self-care is to always connect with your emotions, let them flow and not be repressed, but understood. Read more below!

Talking to yourself

A good way to start the self-care processes is always talking to yourself, evaluating what you want in life, where you want to go, and even what bothers you and can be changed to bring you more satisfaction.

There are people who take the time to record these issues, to get them expressed clearly so that there is a broader understanding of their feelings. This is a good way to start that process, connecting with yourself to understand your true feelings and deeper needs.

Self-forgiveness

Something that many people have great difficulty with is self-forgiveness. Sometimes they end up forgiving the mistakes of others too quickly than their own. Self-care also talks about this, about learning to live with your mistakes and forgiving yourself for having made them.

Accept that adverse situations in life happen, and do not judge yourself for having exercised gratuitously negative, either with yourself or with other people around you. Self-forgiveness is of great importance in order to move forward, and not be stuck in the past dwelling on old and bad emotions.

Contemplation of the environment

Taking the time to contemplate what is around you and be thankful for the good chances that life gives you is also a way to practice self-care. Because this way you can connect more with what is around you, realize that there are many good things to be experienced and enjoyed.

Take the time to observe these simple but important situations in life. For good self-care practices, it is always very positive to allow yourself to have the simplest experiences in life that somehow make you feel alive and satisfied.

Gratitude journal

Being grateful for what you have achieved is extremely important. Many people go through dark times when they fail to achieve a desired goal, even though they have achieved several others that they wanted. You need to understand that some things were not really meant to happen and follow your path in pursuit of what you want, always being grateful for what you have achieved.

Keeping a journal where these achievements can be recorded in the form of gratitude is very important so that you can visualize all that you have already achieved, without focusing only on what has not yet arrived in your life.

Sunbathing

Sunbathing is very important because it favors physical and mental health due to the supply of vitamin D, which is of great importance for various aspects of life. During these moments you can also enjoy nature, practice exercises that make you feel good and even meditation and yoga.

This is a very positive self-care practice as it fosters both the physical and emotional, connecting you with nature and your surroundings. In addition, the vitamin D from sunbathing can strengthen your immune system, cardiovascular system and also metabolism.

How to practice physical self-care

Being with a healthy mind by itself greatly favors the physical, but this also needs exclusive care that can bring a much healthier and satisfying life. That is why it is also important to take the time to exercise self-care activities with the physical part, so that everything is in balance in your body.

Some ways to accomplish these procedures are through physical exercise, but there are also other ways to encourage self-care with your body. Below, check out some other ways to take care of yourself physically!

Stretching

Physical exercises are of great importance to keep health up to date and the body in balance with the mind. It is not necessary that they are extremely elaborate activities for this, and they will depend on the individual's available time for such.

Therefore, stretching is already a very positive practice that can favor your physical self-care. This is a lighter activity, and most people, even if they are not consistent in exercising, will be able to do it every day and still feel more willing.

Learning to dance

Learning new physical activities can also be a differential in this process of self-care. Many people, because they believe they need to dedicate themselves extremely or else give up a lot of time from their routines end up avoiding knowing other activities, but they can be adapted to your routine, just plan and evaluate at what times these can be performed.

Thus, learning to dance can be a very satisfying self-care activity, which in addition to bringing physical exercise into your life can also give you new reasons to each day more learn and evolve in something that makes you feel satisfied.

Play with your pet

Pets are an excellent companion, and in addition, they also greatly promote the self-care process. Playing with your pet can make you feel happier and more satisfied, as much as it is a simple activity, taking the time to connect with your pet and see their happiness having fun is something extremely pleasurable for all individuals.

For those who have a dog, also take the opportunity to walk with him on the street, go for a run, go to a park and enjoy alongside your canine best friend.

Cooking your food

The fast-paced routines of most people make them distance themselves or delegate some common daily activities. Cooking can become one of these tasks, and many end up ordering by apps and phone, and leave aside the pleasure that is cooking.

Therefore, it is important that from time to time take the time to cook, without rushing and enjoy the moment, so that it is not taken as an obligation, but something pleasurable to do.

Good night's sleep

Sleep is essential for the body to function in a positive and regular way, as poorly slept nights can alter mood and harm in various aspects of life.

Therefore, it is important to always find a way to have a good and comfortable night's sleep, as this is a practice of physical self-care that greatly favors your health. An unregulated sleep can cause several other problems both physical and psychological. Keep an eye on it.

How to practice intellectual self-care

Self-care practices should go through various sectors of life, and after the physical and mental, can also be performed on the intellectual side. That is, performing activities that favor you intellectually and also somehow cause pleasure, such as reading, learning and activities focused on this field that serve as distraction for the day to day.

It is important to make a space in your day for these activities as they can enhance you in many ways. Read more below!

Reading

Reading for many people is an extremely pleasurable activity, as it connects them with stories that make the reader immersed in what they are reading and even imagine themselves within the stories lived. It is also something of great importance for people who always like to learn more about various subjects.

This is a very important self-care, because for many times with busy daily lives people dedicate their reading only to the practical matters of work and studies, and forget to read just for pleasure.

Learning

Learning new activities or even other languages is a very positive way to develop and favor your intellectual side. And this is a self-care that benefits your life in general, because learning something new will always be useful.

This learning process can also be very satisfying with the help of other people, with different views but that somehow can teach you or show other perspectives of life, so take advantage of these moments to talk to other people is also a way to take care of yourself.

Current

There are many ways these days to stay informed and up to date with what is going on in the world today. It is important to look for ways to insert yourself into today's world at the same time that you can develop your intellectual side.

Therefore, there are some practices such as listening to podcasts to learn about specific subjects and get to know the world through enjoyable topics that interest you in some way.

Dialogue

Human beings in general are sociable, and they need to be in contact with others in order to feel good in general. Therefore, it is very important to converse with the people around you, especially in this sense of the intellectual side, with those who in some way can add something to your life.

Listening to other people's points of view on a subject, exposing your own and debating in a healthy way is positive for all sides, as much can be learned and developed from these moments.

Writing

For those who enjoy writing and have this skill developed within themselves or just want to share their thoughts, writing is a way to expose their views on issues and even develop their creativity.

It is not necessarily necessary to know how to write fiction or other stories, but to develop your writing from your experiences and experiences, through a diary, social networks or whatever. Many people take advantage of networks to write accounts of their lives, what they have learned, lived situations and others, making a positive use of these tools for yourself.

How to practice spiritual self-care

Self-care should be present in many areas of life, and just as you need to strengthen your physical, you also need to get in touch with your spiritual side and keep it healthy.

For many, spirituality is something developed and of great importance, but there are natural withdrawals, either due to lack of time or life problems that end up distancing them from encouraging these practices within themselves. Therefore, one form of self-care is to find time for activities that strengthen your spiritual side. See some of them below!

Meditation

Meditation is a very positive way that people find to connect with their spiritual side in a deep way. To nourish your spirit, adopt these good practices in your day, as it doesn't have to take that much time to do so.

Adopt this activity as a practice of spiritual self-care, because through it you can get to know yourself better, understand your feelings and needs, and nurture your spiritual side more and more. This practice can be done at various times of the day, between activities and tasks, and it is not necessary to have much time available for it.

Self-knowledge

Knowing yourself in a deep way is something challenging, but very important so that the self-care practices are actually beneficial. Being aware of what you believe and what you want in your life is a very important step for this journey of self-knowledge that everyone goes through in their lives.

To know yourself you need to look closely at yourself, understand what your values, your beliefs, your desires and what motivates you to live. This is an excellent first step to take to nourish your spirit.

Humanitarian cause

Many people dedicate their lives to helping those in need and it somehow comes back to them as an immense satisfaction to see people in need being helped, improving their lives and having access to what they have been denied.

This kind of attitude, as much as it may not be thought of to favor yourself, ends up bringing this good feeling into your life. Therefore, one way to take care of yourself is also to take care of those in need.

Daily Prayers

Faith is something that makes people have more courage to live and accomplish their goals in life. Dedicating a few moments of your day to giving thanks and praying is also an important spiritual self-care because it connects you with your faith and promotes this connection between your mind, spirit and body so that everything is in balance.

Faced with routines, problems and adverse situations, it is common that many people forget to set aside time to pray and give thanks for everything that happens in their lives, but this is also important to feel good about yourself.

Relaxing music

Taking time out of your day to enjoy it, if only alone, and listening to relaxing music while thinking, meditating, or doing some lighter activity is also important self-care.

Music is something that does well for most people, because it brings a great sense of pleasure besides being, in many cases, liberating. So, take advantage of these small moments, to listen to a good music and relax, even if it is in your own company.

How to practice social self-care

Human beings are highly social, and this is something undeniable. Everyone in some way needs to connect with people around them in order to feel truly satisfied.

And these social practices are an important self-care, because by isolating themselves from people it is common that many end up feeling a heavier burden than they should, there are also those who become more depressed and sad. Therefore, it is also important to invest in social situations as a way to exercise self-care.Continue reading!

Cultivation of friendship

Friendships are very important for the life of all human beings, because they are the ones that bring the sense of belonging and satisfaction of the social bond that all people somehow need to live in a harmonious and positive way.

Thus, taking advantage of moments with friends to have fun, share stories and moments is an excellent form of self-care. It is of great importance to maintain these bonds in your life, because the presence of friends can change a negative and boring day.

Laughter - the best medicine

As much as it may sound common sense and cliché, laughing is still one of the best medicines for the soul, and in this case, it is one of the most important self-care practices. Being around the people you love and doing activities that make you laugh and have fun is an excellent way to take care of yourself.

So, do more activities with friends, travel, enjoy yourself the way you like best, and don't let those moments get left aside and be sabotaged by boring and tiring routines. Finding time to have fun is a way to take care of yourself and stay active.

Message for those who love

It may even seem like something very simple, but sending a message to the people you love is a form of self-care too. Many of the times people end up forgetting these small simple practices, because there is lack of time, or else many activities being done every day and these that are so important end up escaping.

Remembering to send a message and talk to a person important to you can bring a lot of satisfaction and gas to your day, no matter how simple it may seem, the power of this attitude is very big.

Volunteering

Helping people brings immense satisfaction to life. Practicing volunteer activities of any kind can bring new opportunities and perspectives to your life. These actions can also make you get to know a new world, new people and new ways to make a difference to those around you.

Providing this kind of service may make other people feel happy, indeed, but it will probably bring much more satisfaction to your life to see that an action of yours may have changed the lives of other people in the world for the better.

Healthy connection

Cultivating healthy connections is extremely important for daily self-care. Bad, worn-out and toxic relationships tend to bring tension to your days, because living with people who bring these feelings causes a lot of emotional and physical wear.

Therefore, in your relationships both of friendship and love, cherish healthy connections, relationships that actually make you feel happy to be around these people. Avoid and get rid of bad connections and doomed to failure, because they can make you lose a lot.

Can anyone practice self-care?

Self-care is a choice, not an imposition, because if performed in this second way it can end up becoming a bad obligation and it is inevitable that you will not achieve your goal. Therefore, all people who wish to bring about improvements in various areas of their lives can practice self-care in any way they wish.

There are several ways and practices that can be done, as quoted. If you are looking to improve your physical, mental and emotional health, these practices are a very worthwhile path to take, as they will make you take a step forward for improvements to come into your life.