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50 Shades of Self-Care: How to Give

Yourself TLC for Every Occasion
Medically reviewed by Bethany Juby, PsyD — Written by Alysa Hullett on April 5, 2023

What is self-care? Types Physical self-care Mental self-care

Emotional self-care Environmental self-care Social self-care

Alternatives

It’s time to talk about *all* types of self-care, including physical,

mental, social, emotional, and environmental.

The self-care trend continues and we are here for it. It’s a legit way to improve or
maintain your well-being. But self-care can mean much more than bubble baths,
candles, and face masks. (Though NGL, those things are pretty great, too.)

When we define exactly what part of our life needs extra TLC, we can do a better job
at creating a self-care habit or ritual to serve it. For example, if you notice you feel a
little lonely, a bath alone is unlikely to soothe you. Instead, self-care might mean
picking up the phone and calling an old friend – even if you do it from the tub.

Here’s how to navigate self-care in its many forms, for every part of life.
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 Brogues Cozens-Mcneelance/EyeEm/Getty Images

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What is self-care?
Much like #situationship or #finfluencer, it seems like we (the people of the internet)
are kind of just collectively defining self-care as we go.

But the World Health Organization (WHO) does have an official definition: Self-care
tools include those which support people, families, and communities to:
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 promote health

maintain health

prevent disease

cope with illness and disability

And in a 2021 study, researchers wrote that self-care in a healthcare setting means
the ability to care for yourself through:

awareness

self-control

self-reliance

So, self-care is obvs pretty important when it comes to living a balanced, healthy,
and happy life. And even though we don’t have tons of research on self-care so far,
what we do know is pretty promising.

In a 2017 study, researchers found that self-care habits may help prevent disease.
And in a 2018 study, researchers found that medical students who practiced self-
care habits report less stress and a better overall quality of life.

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Types of self-care
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 Not to sound like your teacher or anything (don’t worry, there won’t be a quiz), but
the five types of self-care to know about include:

physical self-care

mental self-care

emotional self-care

environmental self-care

social self-care

When we get more specific about the type of self-care we seek, we can do a better job
at truly nurturing ourselves.

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Physical self-care
Physical self-care involves any activity that tends to the well-being of your bod.
Maybe you’re stiff from sitting at a desk all day, or maybe you need to restore after a
hard workout. Whatever the need, anything that serves your physical health falls
under this category.

Some physical self-care activities might include:

you guessed it: exercise! (whether that’s a walk, hike, bike ride, Zumba, tennis,
or jump-squatting in your living room)
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 sipping from your new hydro flask so you get enough of that good, good H2O

spending your #treatyoself $$ on a bougie salad and smoothie

getting a massage

going to acupuncture

dancing (optional: alone in your room in your underwear)

napping when you’re exhausted (yes, napping is self-care)

scheduling time to get enough sleep

You also may want to take stock of your physical well-being by asking yourself the
following Qs:

How does your body feel right now?

What does your body need?

What does your body want?

Mental self-care
Brains, baby. Mental self-care is anything that nourishes your mind (or in some
cases, lets it rest or reset). Since mental health is key to overall health, you might
want to try:

listening to an audiobook or podcast (ok, you’ve heard this one before)

learning a new language or skill

heading to a museum
:
 writing (whether that’s poetry or a letter to your future self – grocery lists don’t
count!)

playing sudoku, chess, or another mentally-stimulating game

doing a puzzle

taking a social media detox

reading a book

practicing a positive mental attitude (PMA FTW)

You can also assess where your mental health is at by asking some questions such
as:

What kind of thoughts are going through your head right now?

Are these thoughts important or relevant? (If so, how can you address them?)

If not, what might you rather think about instead?

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Emotional self-care
Emotional self-care means anything that helps you process, deal with or reflect on
your emotions. Whether you’re on a full-on rollercoaster or you feel a little numb,
caring for your emotions is a great way to find peace and balance in life.

Some emotional self-care activities include:

:
 seeing a therapist (the people are right: they really do work)

talking to a loved one about your feelings

journaling about your emotions

channeling your emotions into art (whether that’s painting, dancing, sewing a
new outfit, or making TikTok vids)

meditating

practicing gratitude

reciting affirmations or mantras to boost your mood (this song might be for
kids, but Snoop Dogg gets it)

doing things that make you happy (pro tip: first, journal about what makes you
happy)

chatting with your inner child

forgiving yourself and others

crying it out

Where are your emotions @, anyway? Some solid questions to ask to find out
include:

What emotions or sensations are you feeling right now? Try to get as specific as
possible.

What kinds of emotions would you like to feel instead? What might help you do
that?

How might you release your undesirable emotions? (e.g. channeling them into
art, journaling, or therapy)

Environmental self-care
Everyone deserves a safe, secure, and comfy home life – even when you’re away
from home. Environmental self-care is anything that deals with your living space
and may include:
:
 making your bed in the morning

decorating your home in a way that makes you happy (pro tip: twinkle lights
aren’t just for kids)

taking a vacation (or staycation)

organizing and cleaning your space (or hey, purifying the negative energy with
some sage)

working from home sometimes (alternatively: working at a co-working space or

coffee shop to get out of the house)

listening to relaxing music

lighting some candles

buying some house plants

buying functional things that make your life easier (hello, closet organizer or
instant coffee pot)

setting your environment up for healthy habits (i.e., setting the fruit bowl on
the kitchen table or creating a cozy meditative space with pillows)

Some questions you might want to ask about your environment include:

How does your day-to-day space make you feel? Is it functional? Does it serve
you?

What does your dream environment look like?

What are some small ways you can transform your space today?

Social self-care
Even if you’re #teamintrovert, you have to admit that humans need other humans.
We’re social animals, and the research shows that connecting with others can do a
lot for our overall health and wellness.

Some ways to practice social self-care include:

:
 scheduling regular phone calls with loved ones

penciling in a date night with your boo

having a game night with your friends

cuddling with your pet (or someone else’s pet)

sending some snail mail to your BFF

volunteering with others

joining a team or club

chatting up a friendly stranger (even if it’s just in the checkout line)

setting healthy boundaries and sticking to them

setting a timer on social media use

saying no to social events when you need time alone

asking a friend for help

building an in-person or online community for others like you

To assess your social well-being, consider asking yourself:

Who can I turn to when I need help?

What relationships do I want to nurture?

Which ones might not be serving me?

Other types of self-care

Like pretty much everything else in life, self-care doesn’t neatly fit into these boxes.
There are also other types that might resonate with you, including:

Spiritual
Spiritual self-care
self-care can mean going to a place of worship, spending time in
nature, meditating, or journaling about the universe and your place in it. You
don’t have to be religious to practice spiritual self-care – it’s basically whatever
nourishes your soul.
:
 Practical
Practical self-care.
self-care. Sometimes, self-care means taking care of future you.
That might mean investing in a personal development course, setting goals and
sticking to them, or streamlining your day-to-day tasks with help from an app, a
new planner, or even hiring an assistant.

Financial
Financial self-care.
self-care. Finances are an inevitable part of our lives – and for
some, a very stressful part. To create a healthier relationship with money,
maybe you need a little financial self-care. First, consider assessing and
rewriting your beliefs about money. (For instance, “I can’t make a lot of money
with my degree,” might become “There are lots of high paying jobs out there for
people like me” or “I can always go back to school or build up my skillset to earn
more.”) Other ways include setting aside “fun money,” hiring a financial
advisor, or using an app that simplifies saving or investing.

Personal
Personal self-care.
self-care. Personal self-care is anything that involves getting to
know yourself a bit better. Maybe that means listening to new music and seeing
how you like it, responding to journal prompts, or writing lists of what you love
and why. And why not take yourself on a date?! You might discover a new
passion in the process.

And we’ll be real – in the end, self-care can be whatever it means to you.

Takeaway
Self-care comes in various forms, including physical, mental, emotional, social, and
environmental. When you pinpoint which areas of your life need some support, you
can implement new habits to improve your quality of life.

Of course, these changes don’t have to happen overnight! Even small steps can add
up to major self-care gains. You might practice emotional self-care by talking to a
loved one about your feelings, or take care of your physical body by dancing around
your room in the morning.

Whatever self-care steps you take, it’s just important that they serve you and your
unique sense of well-being.
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  4 sources FEEDBACK:   v  z

Ayala EE, et al. (2018). U.S. medical students who engage in self-care report less stress and higher quality of
life.
https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-018-1296-x

Martinez, N, et al. (2021). Self-care.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8488814

Riegel, B, et al. (2021). Self-care research.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748919302093

Self-care interventions for health. (n.d.).

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/self-care-health-interventions

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