Self-care is often the most important factor in living a healthy life, which in turn allows you to live your life fully, in the ways that matter to you. Self-care includes all the choices you make on a daily basis that affect your physical, mental, and spiritual health. As a matter of fact, how you take care of yourself will have a greater impact on your health and well-being than the medical care you receive. Evidence shows that each of these eight areas of self-care contribute a great deal to your overall health and well-being. They can also impact your chances for developing diseases as well as the course and seriousness of that disease. Consider your values, lifestyle, habits, and motivations in each area. Taking stock of where you are now (your current state) and where you want to be (your desired state) in each of these areas is the first step in living a healthier life.
Working Your Body
Movement and exercise increase your energy and flexibility, and affect the state of your body and your mind and emotions. Studies show that regular exercise reduces risk factors by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, two major contributors to the number one killer, heart disease. Physical activities of all kinds are beneficial and increase strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance. Finding what you enjoy and what works for you is important and may include activities like walking, dancing, gardening, swimming, bicycling, lifting
weights, or working out in a gym.
Surroundings
The environment where you spend a lot of time (like at home or
work), both inside and outdoors, directly affects you and your health. You may have issues with basic needs such as safety, or things like clutter, noise, smells, chemicals, or poor lighting or water quality that keep you from being your best. Some of these factors you may be able to impact or change and some you may not. It all begins with paying attention to the influences of your environment on your life and health, and improving what you can. It matters to have safe, comfortable, and healthy spaces.
Personal Development
No matter what stage you are at in life, addressing your personal and/or work life is hugely important. This means taking a look at how you spend your time and energy throughout the day, and whether those activities fuel you or drain you. Does the balance of where and how you spend your energy line up with what matters to you? How do you feel about your finances and how are they impacting your life? These factors affect not only your happiness, but also your health.
Food & Drink
What you eat and drink can nourish and strengthen your body and mind. Your decisions about what you eat and drink impact your mood, energy level, and physical health and performance. Developing healthy drinking and eating habits that fit your lifestyle, taking supplements that support your health goals, and limiting substances like alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine keep your body properly fueled.
Recharge
Rest, relaxation, and sleep recharge and refuel you. Sleep is critical for important body and mind functions. Rest, relaxation, and leisure activities create a sense of peace and calm and lower stress. You may also find that physical activity, spending time with family and friends, spending time in nature, completing a significant challenge, or working on a hobby helps you to recharge. Paying attention to the balance between activity and rest is important for optimal health.
Family, Friends & Coworkers
Your social relationships and whether you feel isolated or connected to others are associated with whether or not you get sick, stay sick, and even how likely you are to die prematurely. In good times and challenging times, it helps to have caring and supportive relationships with people with whom you can talk to openly, knowing that they really listen to you. Intimate relationships and sexual health are not always topics people feel comfortable talking about. The negative effects of sexual trauma or feelings of inadequacies can be devastating. Positive and healthy intimate relationships can be a source of strength.
Spirit & Soul
A sense of meaning and purpose in life and a connection to things outside of you are words that describe the core of what is really important to many people. Where do you turn for a sense of strength and comfort in difficult times? Some people turn to faith, religious practice, or time in nature. Some connect with art or music or prefer quiet time alone. You may express this as a guiding principle for living and giving, a regard for others, or a connection with your inner self in ways that fuel you.
Power of the Mind
The mind directly impacts the state of your body, in both positive and negative ways. Think of a lemon and you salivate. Think of something that stresses you and your heart rate and blood pressure jump. Learning to use this connection intentionally for positive effects is easy to do. Mind-body practices strengthen the communication between your body, brain, and mind. Think about highly trained athletes or warriors who use the power of their mind to visualize success, or people who use the power of their mind to lower their blood pressure or control pain. You can learn to optimize your body’s ability to heal and cope better with mental and physical stress, by using mind-body techniques.