5 Types of Self-Care & Practices for Any Season

By: Jan Agaton

When you hear “self-care,” it’s typically associated with, “treat yourself.” For some people those words trigger the urge to put on a face mask, others might want to take themselves on a shopping spree, or some might suspend their concern for calories and eat a delicious double chocolate dessert, guilt-free. 

However, there’s more to self-care than beauty products and spending a bunch of money on yourself. In fact, there are five types of self-care: physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social. Along with walking you through each type, we will provide a few ways to practice and implement them in your daily routines to maintain a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle. 

Physical Self-Care

This first one is pretty straightforward and the most common form of self-care that people tend to focus on. There are endless ways to take care of your physical body, whether that’d be internally or in terms of appearance. 

• You don’t need to hit the gym or go on long-distance outdoor runs; just move your body one way or another. Walk to as many places as you can, deep clean your house, take the stairs instead of the elevator, have a dance party by yourself. It all counts!
• Drink plenty of water! We’ve all heard that you should drink eight glasses of water a day, but that could be a bit vague to some people. So here’s a clearer way to look at it: in general, it’s recommended that for every pound you weigh, you should drink between a half-ounce to an ounce of water. Therefore, if you weigh 120 pounds, you should be drinking about 60-120oz. of water daily. 
• Eat with intention and always keep in mind: moderation, not restriction! Eat what you want, just don’t overdo it. Feed your body some good fuel that will keep it going throughout your busy day without feeling lethargic later.
• Go to the doctor when necessary! When you think there’s something wrong, don’t wait until it gets worse. Going along with that, don’t forget to take your medications and vitamins!

Then there’s the extra stuff to make yourself feel yourself. That could mean a full skincare routine, getting a manicure, putting makeup on, etc. But on top of all of that, make sure to maintain good hygiene as well! 

Emotional Self-Care

Emotional self-care involves positive thinking, making yourself aware of how you feel then being comfortable with those feelings, and learning how to move forward. 

Journaling is a great way to process your emotions with yourself in a complete manner without stressing about doing so “correctly” or about what others might think. You could find prompts online if you prefer structure, or just “brain dump” to get all your thoughts down on paper without worrying if it makes sense. 

Talk to someone you trust about how you feel. Tell someone you know would listen, wouldn’t judge, and wouldn’t provide unsolicited advice. 

Remember that it’s okay to cry it out. Sometimes all you need to feel better is to let it all out by bursting into tears, and there should be zero shame in that! 

Going to therapy is also nothing to be ashamed of. Seeking professional help is such a powerful thing to do for yourself!

Prioritize making yourself happy more often than focusing on always making sacrifices for others. Of course, everyone wants to be a good friend/family member/employee, etc. but you can’t pour from an empty cup! You need to take care of your mental health in order to be your best self towards others!

Spiritual Self-Care

Contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t necessarily have to be about religion! Yes, spirituality could mean striving to connect to a higher power, but that higher power could also be a higher you. Your higher self is who you truly are as an individual, and there are several practices you could do to find that inner “you” and strengthen that connection. 

“Just as it is essential to nurture your body with food, it is necessary to nurture your soul with spirit.” 

Meditate. It’s not for everybody, but sitting in a quiet, peaceful environment where you’re able to be aware of your body, control your breathing, and manage your thoughts could be extremely helpful in reducing stress and improving your self-awareness, thus connecting to your true self. 

Take a walk; nature has been known to give a sense of healing and contribute to mental cleansing.

Religious practices -- go to church/Temple/etc., read your Bible/devotionals/Torah/etc., check your horoscope, spend time with your crystals, get a tarot card reading if that’s what you’re into; regardless of your beliefs, if it gives you that sense of spirituality and peace of mind, go for it.

Intellectual Self-Care

Intellectual self-care involves wanting to better yourself by constantly having the desire to learn. Exercising your brain is just as crucial as exercising your body. Once you discover the things you’re interested in, there is always something new to learn within those categories!

Read, read, read! Physical books, audiobooks, e-books, Kindles, Nooks, online articles, magazines, comic books, blogs, the list could go on. What you read doesn’t even have to be non-fiction to get your gears turning; fiction/fantasy novels work just as well in exposing you to new vocabulary, in addition to seeing various world-building strategies and writing techniques, and helping you escape the real world for a little while. 

• Listening to podcasts has become a huge trend recently. There seems to be one out there for everybody nowadays. You could find ones that are strictly informative or highly opinionated ones. There are some about books, serial killers, music, and there are even some for fandoms such as Harry Potter and Pokemon. 
• Informational videos are a good source for improving your intellectual self-care as well. Whether they’re simple how-to videos on YouTube or full-blown courses on platforms such as SkillShare, taking advantage of technology to increase our knowledge is always a good use of time.

Social Self-Care 

It may not always feel true, but people need people. Human interaction is necessary to be happier and healthier throughout your life. Sometimes we all just want to stay home and watch Netflix all alone in our PJ’s while we shut out the rest of the world, and that’s okay every now and then, but it’s important to make time for maintaining and deepening our relationships with others as well. This is where social self-care comes in.

• Surround yourself with people who make you happy, as opposed to those who automatically give you bad vibes or bring you down in any way. It’s important to carefully choose who you decide to share your time with because time is the least non-renewable resource we have.

Make plans at least once a week or so. Messages work both ways, so you shouldn’t always be waiting for someone else to invite you somewhere. Make the effort, come up with something you’d enjoy, and ask a couple of friends to join you!

• Even if you end up just sitting at a coffee shop doing your own thing, you still left the house. Ordering your coffee still involves that human interaction a lot of us tend to avoid nowadays, and being in an environment that isn’t your living space is good for you, too!
• At the same time, do things you actually want to do. There’s a difference between telling yourself to leave the house Friday night for a change of scenery and spending that night at a grimy bar where you don’t feel comfortable or safe. It’s okay to say “no” and attempt to change your plans. If your friends are really your friends, they’d understand. 

The bottom line is the little things matter. You don’t have to do all of these things every single day and try to fit in hours of self-care to your already busy schedule. Just do things that you know your future self will thank you for.

With all of that being said, of course, as a company that makes beauty products, Make It Classy will forever encourage taking care of your skin and hair in addition to the practices listed above. We always wish the best for our customers and readers and hope you all show yourselves love and care inside and out in order to be your happiest, healthiest selves.