How do you self-care?

The first time that I heard the term ‘self-care’ was in graduate school, but self-care is not just for counselors, or counselors in the making, it is for everyone! Self-care is yes, taking care of oneself, but it goes deeper than that. It is being intentional about taking care of oneself, emotionally and physically. It is listening to what your body is telling you. Sometimes, amidst our busy lives, it is easy to get caught up in what everyone else needs and forget our own needs. Whether it be a student with a seemingly endless amount of assignments or a parent rushing after work to pick up their children from school to rush them over to sports practice or games, it is easy to forget about practicing self-care.  In order to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself and others, practicing self-care is essential. Now that we have established the importance and necessity of practicing self-care, let’s talk about how to practice self-care. The practice of self-care can look very different for each individual. It can even look different for an individual on different days. It is imperative to remember that it is all about listening to what your body is telling you.

Here is a list of ideas:

1.     Exercise

2.     Take a walk around the block

3.     Socialize

4.     Learning to say no to things that are not meeting your needs

5.     Journal your thoughts

6.     Take a nap

7.     Dance

8.     Create a list to organize your day

9.     Write a daily gratitude list

10.  Unplug from social media for the day

11.  Watch your favorite show or movie

12.  Take a warm bath

13.  Try out a new hobby-you may really enjoy it!

14.  Read

15.  Be in the moment

Now, brainstorm some ideas for yourself. How do you practice self-care? It is so important that you practice self-care activities that mean something to you. Try taking 20 to 30 minutes each day to practice self-care and write down a list benefits that you start to notice.

Written by Rachel Ealy, M.Ed

If you're still struggling despite finding time for self care, depression therapy may be right for you. Contact our counseling clinic today.

Rachel is a counselor at Heights Family Counseling. She believes that counseling should be for everyone because everyone could use extra support, a place to define purpose and values, and tools to use to tackle life’s everyday problems, as well as someone to support your successes in life. Rachel specializes in working with children, adolescents, young adults, and couples. Learn more about Rachel's counseling approach by visiting https://heightsfamilycounseling.com/amy-rollo/