Creating a Self-Care Routine

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it can be easy to forget to take care of ourselves. We are moving from one task to the next and telling ourselves we will relax once we finish A, B, and C. However, not taking proper care of ourselves can lead to more serious consequences such as health issues, burnout, increased risk for certain diseases, sickness, difficulty bouncing back from life challenges, or worsening mental health symptoms. Creating and maintaining a self-care practice has endless benefits and can greatly improve your overall well-being.  

Self-care is the process of taking care of oneself to improve and maintain overall health and wellness. Implementing a self-care practice can help prevent burnout, reduce stress, increase overall well-being, decrease mental health symptoms, improve mental clarity and productivity, improve work-life balance, prevent disease and illness, and strengthen emotional resilience. Starting a self-care routine might feel intimidating initially, but setting aside a few minutes each day to focus on yourself can make an enormous difference in your health and managing stress. The important thing to remember is to tailor your self-care to your needs and figure out what works best for you. 

One tool that can be helpful in creating and maintaining your self-care routine is called the Wellness Wheel. The Wellness Wheel was created by psychologists Jane Myers, Thomas Sweeney, and Melvin Witmer and includes 8 areas of health and wellness. They discovered that by engaging in activities from the 8 areas of wellness, one can achieve optimal health, wellness, and life balance. 

The Wellness Wheel includes the following areas of health and wellness:

• Intellectual Health: reading, puzzles, learning something new, brain games, or taking a new class.

• Physical Health: exercising, walking, lifting weights, yoga, sleep hygiene practices, drinking plenty of water, balanced nutrition, limiting alcohol and stimulant use, managing one’s hygiene, or seeing your doctors regularly.

• Spiritual Health: going to church, prayer, meditation, nature activities, Reiki, or deep breathing techniques. 

• Occupational Health: networking in your field, mentorship, setting boundaries at work, delegating workload, or engaging in meaningful and fulfilling work.

• Social Health: spending time with friends or family, going to festivals or events, or volunteering.

• Financial Health: creating a budget, plans to improve your finances, 401k management, or talking to a financial advisor.

• Emotional Health: journaling, therapy, creative pursuits, or attending a support group.

• Environmental Health: limiting technology use, time management, or participating in activities that take care of the environment.  

  
  

Your self-care routine may change over time, depending on life circumstances, which is perfectly okay. What matters is incorporating self-care practices into your daily life so that you can handle life’s challenges more easily and be the healthiest version of yourself you can be. 

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• Tip: Engaging in your self-care routine when feeling good actually makes it easier to maintain your routine when not feeling your best. 

• Time to Reflect: What is one activity that leaves you feeling grounded, centered, and refreshed?