Self- care practices come in many forms from the mental, the physical, the emotional, to the spiritual.
Sometimes it is difficult to know what to do, or where to start our individual health care routines.
Ask yourself these questions to see if you need to instigate self-care strategies:
Do you understand what self-care is all about?
I know I didn’t really understand what this meant because I had no idea that you needed to take extra care of yourself,even if you were not sick.
Do you really know what self-care activities are?
Did you know that daily self-care activities can improve your: health, increase mindfulness, and make you feel spiritually connected, thus helping you clarify your path and your purpose?
Is taking care of yourself the furthest thing from your mind?
Do you have too much on your plate to even consider care for yourself?
Do your self-care practices consist of only the basic necessities?
You bathe, you eat, and maybe get some good sleep when you can shut your mind off long enough. But. Did you know that there are other simple self-care practices you can do?
Did you also know, that if you keep forgetting to take proper care of yourself, the consequences could be devastating to your overall well-being?
In this day and age of constant stress, it is important to do extra rituals to ensure your body/mind is being supported. Quite often these things can impinge on, not only your personal life, but also your work-life. Taking good care of yourself literally, keeps the doctor away.
I know it’s hard to balance everything in life and have a consistent self-care routine. But incorporating some enjoyable self-care activities into your day isn’t as hard as you may think.
In the sections below I will show you 60 simple self-care practices for a healthy mind, body, and soul that you can begin implementing today.
Let’s get started.
Firstly, let’s define what we mean by self-care so we are all on the same page.
Self-Care Definition
So, what is the definition of self-care anyway? According to the Oxford Dictionary, self-care is “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health” ….“the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular, periods of stress.”
You can see that self-care is an action and actions require plans and strategies. It requires routines and daily procedures that need to be undertaken regularly, in order to progress, improve or maintain good health. Because, the objective of a self-care regimen is, to feel better, in some way. In essence, ALL self-care leads to some personal development and improvement.
So, let’s look at what types of self-care strategies are available to implement.
The strategies for self-care revolve around developing a plan to bring some regiment or routine into your daily life, so that you can feel better on all levels.
These strategies for self-care are divided into: the mental, the physical, the emotional and then for the soul, your spirit.
In the dialogue below the emotional level has been intertwined within the other levels.
In all of the articles in this Personal Development Blog, Wellness That Works, our overall goal is to help you reach self-actualisation. This is that place of increased awareness where eventually you will become more present more often. This means that along the way you will have done the necessary work to overcome those self-esteem and self- concept roadblocks, and have dealt with the underlying issues behind those two negative values.
So, in summary, all self-care is leading you towards that final goal. The thing to note about self-care strategies is that you can do these yourself.
This then takes the burden of excessive cost for different programs out of the equation, and gives you the power and responsibility for looking after your own health and wellbeing. And. This is where it needs to be, because choosing personal development and improvement, is a commitment. It takes time. And, it becomes a way of life.
You can see that any strategy you adopt first, whether it is for: the mind, the body, the emotions or the soul, are all plan or maps, that you choose specifically, as a possible course of action. The lists below are guides that might give you some idea of what you might consider.
Let’s now look at the types of activities that we could undertake to increase our personal self-care.
The types of self-care activities fall into these categories:
… and so on.
These are general categories which you will notice cover all of the different self-care practices.
Having looked at the broad range of activities that we could undertake, let’s now delve into each level of self-care activities that will improve all aspects of our body/mind and soul. It is your choice. You are solely responsible for your own health and wellbeing. We are just here as your guide.
Let’s tackle the impact your mindset has on your body first.
Your brain produces between 2,100-3,300 thoughts per hour. Literally, mind-boggling, if that’s accurate! I don’t know if scientists have that number right, but I do know my own experience.
I’ve had a full conversation with someone and never heard a word they’ve said, or remembered any of my responses. Unfortunately, most of those thoughts are repetitive and are negative. This has consequences. And. The consequences make it harder for you to change your default position from a negative position to being more positive more often.
It is all noise!
You must quiet the noise in your mind, so your body and spirit have a chance to engage in the world around you.
With all the chatter in your brain, some conscious and some unconscious, how do you self-care about your mental health?
How do you shut off the brain noise and give yourself a break?
The good news is you can. But it’s also important to channel your mind in different ways to keep it healthy and strong.
Three key ingredients to taking better care of your mind are:
The most important thing you can do first is to master your breathing. Doing correct breathing. Mindful breathing is an essential part of cleaning your blood and providing healthy, clean oxygen for your brain and heart.
For this reason, you will find (Breathe) at the top of all three of my self-care practices tips lists. It’s my secret ingredient to simple self-care practices for a healthy mind, body, and soul.
Below are 20 simple self-care practices for a healthy mind. And the best part is you can easily build these into your daily routine with very little effort.
Let’s transfer these simple ideas into practice self-care for a healthy mind first.
Now that you have some valuable tools for taking better care of your mind let’s look at some simple self-care ideas for your body.
So, you’ve kind of neglected your mind but what about your body? You’re starting to feel sluggish and tired. It’s not like you don’t do anything.
In fact, it seems like you’re always on the go. But here’s the truth. Your body knows the difference between busy and physically fit.
Not only that, your body needs some TLC. But you feel you don’t have time for that.
Not only do you need to improve your physical fitness you also need to take care of your skin, your eyes, and your hair, too. Goodness! All these things most of us don’t factor in, when we think about having a healthy body.
These little acts of kindness for yourself can make all the difference in the world for your mood, health, and general well-being.
It’s exhausting when your mind goes straight to the thought of spending hours at the gym. And naturally, that thought is often a deterrent from doing the wonderful things you really could be doing to take care of your body.
Caring for your body is good for your mind and your soul. It doesn’t have to be a Fast 45 routine, or a boot camp regimen to be effective.
Let’s change that thought process from this point forward. You are no longer going to just think about grueling exercise when you think about being physically fit. Just think about increasing your movement. Any movement.
Below are 20 simple self-care practices that you can start doing today to better care for your body. And the best part is, incorporated with healthy mind activities, you will be well on your way to a brand new you.
Simple Self-Care Practices for a Healthy Body
We’ve covered the mind and the body, but what about your soul? Caring for the soul is just as crucial in your self-care practice as any other exercise or another healthy habit you can adapt.
Let’s dive into some simple self-care ideas for the soul.
Nourishing your soul can often be the catalyst that engages the rest of your senses.
Research has proven that people who are more spiritual experience increased health benefits.
You are more in tune with the world around you when things feel good in your heart.
This isn’t surprising since spiritual self-care practices are comforting and provide tremendous stress relief.
When your thoughts are turned toward something bigger than yourself, the small things that bog you down aren’t as bothersome.
Healthy spiritual practices are like food for the soul. And, it’s the positive impact it has on our thinking that is truly the key.
Caring for the soul goes beyond just spiritual practices though. Caring for others can be equally therapeutic. Doing something kind for someone else brings us joy.
Peace and satisfaction come from giving of yourself. Not only does this action bring a smile to someone else’s life, but it also makes you feel good.
Simply feeling better about yourself, makes all the trials that come your way seem less significant. That helps reduce stress and gives you more emotional energy.
Here is a list of things you can do to feed your spirit and practice self-care for your soul.
Now that you have some simple practices for the mind, the body and the soul, you can start implementing these, as soon as possible.
Let’s look at all the benefits of self-care you will experience.
Practicing simple self-care techniques and investing in your personal well-being can feel selfish. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The reality is that if you don’t take care of yourself, you will eventually burn out.
It’s time to love yourself more. It’s time to admit you’ve neglected yourself. It’s time to practice some simple self-care for your mind, body, and soul.
When you start doing some things I’ve suggested in this post, you will feel better.
Some things will bring immediate relief, and some things will need to be practiced.
You will…
… and much, much more.
I know it seems too simple and too good to be true. But just a few steps toward self-care will bring relief that you probably haven’t felt in a long time, if ever.
The hardest part is getting started. You are one decision away from making that happen. So now that you have decided, you are probably thinking, how do I get started.
Here’s how!
All these ideas are great, but now what?
Don’t try to tackle these changes all at once. Ease your way into them. Practicing good self-care is a life-change, and you will be more successful taking it one step at a time.
What area of your life needs your immediate attention?
Start there and figure out what steps are most easily adapted next. These ideas are simple for a reason.
But I insist that you begin with learning how to breathe. As I mentioned in the very beginning, breathing is the most important thing you need to do correctly to experience all the benefits of simple self-care.
To be successful, you don’t need complicated mumbo jumbo to figure out. You need simple actions you can take that will bring quick results.
That’s why I’ve given you simple, easy things you can incorporate into your daily routine.
This world can drive you to your knees. But you know what steps to take now. You know how to implement simple self-care strategies into your daily routine.
You are on a path to a healthier mind, body, and soul just by reading this post.
Close your eyes, breathe in, exhale, and take the next step. You’ve got this!
These gradual changes in your self-care habits will produce significant benefits for your health, your well-being, your life!
What will you choose to do first? Do let me know.
If you have enjoyed this article, by all means please share it.
If you would like to leave a comment about any aspect of this article on self-care practice, I would love to hear from you.
In all cases… to your best health ever!
Blessings.
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