Making Self-Care Accessible and Sustainable
Making Self-Care Accessible and Sustainable
While the term "self-care" is familiar to many, its practice often becomes an afterthought, typically remembered during moments of distress or societal milestones such as New Year's resolutions. These sporadic approaches, though not inherently incorrect, foster misconceptions about self-care and hinder its sustainability.
Self-care encompasses a multitude of purposeful practices aimed at enhancing holistic well-being. According to Butler et al. (2019) there are six domains that require our attention in our regular self-care practices: physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, intellectual, and relational. These might sound overwhelming, but it is likely that any self-care practice/ activity would involve and meet our needs in more than one domains.
It's crucial to remember that self-care isn't necessarily about indulgence or excessive spending. Instead, it involves cultivating a personal and consistent practice, applicable both when we feel good and when we face life's struggles.
When embarking on self-care, it's common to seek instant gratification or to pursue perfection. However, the key lies in recognizing the most accessible step(s) tailored to our current needs as a starting point and allowing them to grow and evolve over time.
Physical Self-care
Butler et al. (2019) define this as “managing or preventing work-related stress and stressors, reduce the risk or mitigate the effects of burnout and other workplace hazards, and increase work performance and satisfaction”. This includes, but not limited to:
Mindful, balanced eating and hydration
Scheduled breaks throughout the day, week, month, or year
Establishing healthy sleep patterns, prioritizing rest
Limiting screen times
Moving our body, starting with simple activities like walks or stretches at home
Building a consistent exercise routine
Emotional Self-Care
Butler et al. (2019) define emotional self-care as “practices that are engaged in to safeguard against or address negative emotional experience as well as those intended to create or enhance positive emotional experience and well-being”. Examples of emotional self-care practices are:
Carving out moments for introspection and reflection
Identifying, naming, understanding our emotions
Expressing emotions in healthy ways (crying, laughing, communicating, having creative outlets)
Engaging in comforting rituals or activities
Practicing kind and validating self-talk
Seeking support from others and professional help when necessary
Psychological Self-Care
Defined by Butler et al. (2019) as “practices that aim to pursue and satisfy intellectual needs, while producing efforts to understand and attend to your overall needs.” This includes:
Engaging in new experiences and learning
Exploring self-reflection and development practices like journaling, meditation, therapy
Creating a mindful schedule for a sense of structure & purposefulness
Making space & time for pursuit of personal interests/ passion
Setting realistic goals and milestones in life to foster motivation and sense of achievement
Relational Self-Care
Relationship self-care refers to the efforts we make to maintain and enhance our interpersonal connections to others (Butler et al., 2019). We can consider the following examples:
Spending time with loved ones, sharing experiences
Cultivating meaningful conversations
Reconnecting with old friends/ loved ones
Creating new connections in life
Setting healthy boundaries (time, material, space, emotional)
Seeking help when needed, offering help when possible
Professional Self-Care
Butler et al. (2019) define this as “managing or preventing work-related stress and stressors, reduce the risk or mitigate the effects of burnout and other workplace hazards, and increase work performance and satisfaction”. Some of the things we can do include:
Continuous learning and skill improvement
Finding meaning and personal fulfilment in work
Prioritizing fair compensation and maintaining a healthy work-life balance
Building healthy relationships with colleagues
Accepting mistakes and seeking constructive feedback
Creating a comfortable physical environment for work
Creating a productive and comfortable routine/ arrangement for work (e.g. work from home or office? How many days in the week?)
Spiritual Self-Care
As defined by Butler et al. (2019), spiritual self-care practice “creates space to reflect on our own inner needs and our role or place within the world and universe”.
Engaging in spiritual practices like prayer or meditation or being part of a community
Finding meaning in everyday experiences
Participating in activities aligned with personal values
Connecting with nature and fostering self-expression
Practising gratitude towards self, others, and for the different aspects of life including during challenging times
In conclusion, embracing self-care is not about making drastic overnight changes or striving for perfection. Rather, it's about nurturing consistent habits that prioritize well-being. Approach yourself with patience and compassion, acknowledging that progress takes time and adaptation. Allow your self-care practice to grow and transform as your needs evolve; what works now does not always work in the future, and that's ok. Trust in the process and your ability to discover practices that bring fulfillment and balance to your life's journey.
Reference:
Butler, L. D., Mercer, K. A., McClain-Meeder, K., Home, D. M., & Dudley, M. (2019). Six domains of self-care: Attending to the whole person. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 29(1), 107-124.
