Seven Pillars of Self Care

Ela Tyagi
Dec 16, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Dec 18, 2021

Self-care! sounds relaxing, comforting like going to a spa or getting a nice massage. But self-care in the true sense is more than just taking care of your body. I am not saying that taking care of the body is not important but there are other aspects we need to pay attention to as well. Let me steer the direction of your thoughts towards the 7 pillars of self-care.

1. Physical Self Care:

The health of your body necessitates physical self-care. A healthy lifestyle is aided by a nutritious food, regular exercise, and a regular sleeping pattern. Physical self-care does not imply that you get fixated on these things (getting too fixated about exercise and diet); Mindfulness and proper choices can help you in a long run.

Suggestions for Physical Self Care:

~ Fix a sleeping time preferable early to bed and early to rise.

~ Go for long walks in the nature, do yoga, Join a gym, try to take steps instead of elevator.

~ Prepare a healthy meal for yourself, include lots of veggies and salads in your diet.

~ Drink at least 2 liter water per day.

2. Mental Self Care:

Your thoughts and emotions caters your mental health. The kind of thoughts you feed yourself the kind of emotions and actions you nurture. Its like the famous phrase you all must have heard a lot of times in your childhood, “what you sow you shall reap”’. If you plant a mango seed you will get only mangoes from it not strawberries. Whatever you put your time and energy into in what you get back. Entertain this thought!

Suggestions for Mental Self Care:

~ Meditate

~ Tame your negative thoughts

~ Unplug from any tech for the day.

~ Create loving and positive affirmation for yourself.

~ Read a book or listen to positive talks.

3. Emotional Self Care:

We experience plenty of different emotions and feelings in our day to day life. It can vary from Affection and Anger to worry and wonder. Our emotions are intertwined with our experiences. These emotions can either make us feel excited or gush into tears, motivated or demotivated, confident or anxious. A healthy, caring and understanding relationship with your emotional state can be of vital necessity for your serenity.

My Suggestions for Emotional Self Care:

~ Write a Journal

~ Take some time for yourself and distinguish your emotions.

~ Use an art form to express your feelings and emotions

~ Find out the pleasant emotions and the memories that trigger those emotions.

~ Write down the things your are grateful for.

4. Intellectual Self Care:

The power of the mind to think and to learn in known as intellect. We fuel our body with a healthy diet in the similar way intellectual self care is fuel for the mind.

This approach works on your inner thinker in turn expanding your knowledge and mindset. A healthy mind is the foundation of a healthy self.

My Suggestions for Intellectual Self Care:

~ Read a lot of books to challenge your intellect.

~ Meet more like minded and similar interest groups for healthy discussions and learning.

~ Learn a new language

~ Brain storm for solution to your problem.

~ solve a puzzle or play chess.

5. Spiritual Self Care:

Spiritual self care is connecting within yourself ( your higher self). I always believed that we have all the answers within us, I have the Universe within me. But how many of us try to look for it? Every experience, every thought, every emotions we go through, if taken in the right spirits it will help us to know the greater meaning of our life.

My Suggestions for Spiritual Self Care:

~ Meditate/ Prayer

~ Connect and spend time in nature.

~ Reading spiritual literature.

~ Attending Spiritual or Religious event.

~ Respecting other peoples spiritual or religious views, values and beliefs.

~ Go on a spiritual retreat

6. Social Self Care:

Humans are co-independent creatures. We are social beings, we need each other to survive. Social self care is important to help us to learn and grow in our life. Meeting new people, like minded people, people to guide and support can make life meaningful.

My Suggestions for Social Self Care:

~ family and friends get together for brunch or dinner.

~ Join a club

~ connect with someone you have not been in touch for a while.

~ compliment someone

~ Get into some volunteer work for a cause you care about.

7. Practical Self Care:

Daily routine can be mundane and boring, but with proper planning and execution it can help you in reducing your stress. This is where practical self care comes in.