Keeping well #2

“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need tomorrow.” 

Robert Tew

Keeping well is an artform and for me this includes self-care.  I gave a chat to a group of young people earlier this year and explained that self-care has seven domains: social, mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, recreational and environmental.  We discussed these and then they each made a self-care plan.

Social is about healthy relationships and connecting with others.  Positive social interactions assist us with a sense of belonging and acceptance.  I often talk about one of my favourite people – Sam Cawthorn, in which he describes that the five closest people either lift you up OR suck the life out of you, so be careful who you choose!

Mental self-care helps to cultivate a healthy mind.  Mindfulness and mediations can help with this, as can reading a book, learning something new and organising your schedule.

Physical self-care is incredibly important to ensure your body stays healthy.  Drinking sufficient water, exercising, eating healthier and sleep are all essential.

Spiritual self-care is about finding connections to keep you grounded.  For some this is religion, yoga, nature, taking a break from technology, identifying your values and connection to community.

Emotional self-care is to practice self-compassion and taking care of your heart.  Healthy coping strategies for when life gets you down aid in dealing with challenges and setbacks.  Positive affirmations, gratitude journal, looking at photographs of happy times, purging your social media lists can all help with this.

Recreational self-care is making time for hobbies, fun activities and new experiences.  Using recreation as a way of getting away from the busyness of life and enjoying simple pleasures.  When was the last time you did something for fun? 

Environmental self-care involves taking care of the space around you and ensuring you are comfortable in your environment.  This may mean decluttering, buying a plant or organising your workspace. 

When I think of self-care, some items cross over many domains.  As you may be aware – mosaics are my go to for self -care and this ticks many boxes; social, mental, spiritual (taking a break from technology), emotional and recreational.  Three hours a week and all this is done.

Do you need a self-care plan that reflects ALL of the domains?