August is National Wellness Month, a time dedicated to promoting self-care and a healthy lifestyle. Nurture your well-being through the seven pillars of self-care from The Blissful Mind. Focusing on even one pillar can make a meaningful difference in your health and happiness
Mental
Mental self-care helps you develop a healthy mindset, grow your skills, and enhance your knowledge and creativity. Ways you can do this include:
- Journaling
- Meditation
- Engaging your brain in a new way
- Taking an intentional break away from technology and social media
Emotional
Emotional self-care helps you understand yourself more, deal with challenges and setbacks, and develop healthy emotional responses. Examples of emotional self-care include:
- Writing down positive affirmations
- Asking for help when you need it
- Setting boundaries to protect your time and energy
- Listening to your favorite songs
Physical
Taking care of your body with exercise, nutrition, good hygiene and proper sleep helps your overall physical well-being, increases energy levels, and boosts self-esteem. Ideas for physical self-care include:
- Eating meals at regular times
- Drinking more water
- Exercising
- Getting 7-8 hours of sleep
Environmental
This pillar is about taking care of the spaces and places around you, which gives you a sense of belonging and allows you to thrive. Some ways to practice environment self-care include:
- Arranging your workspace to be more comfortable
- Exploring somewhere new (even if it’s just around your hometown)
- Decluttering your living space
- Going for a walk outside
Spiritual
Spiritual self-care is caring for your soul through activities or practices that give you a sense of direction, purpose, or meaning. This pillar can help you feel more grounded and connected to the world around you. Ideas for spiritual self-care include:
- Spending time in nature
- Identifying your values and what’s meaningful to you
- Volunteering or contributing to a cause you believe in
- Connecting to a high power
Recreational
We all have an inner child, and this pillar is about caring for that inner child with hobbies, fun activities, and new experiences. Get away from the pressure of your to-do list and enjoy pleasures that life has to offer through activities like:
- Hobbies and creative endeavors
- Going on an adventure by yourself or with others
- Taking time to do absolutely nothing
- Switching up your regular daily routine
Social
Humans are social creatures by nature, so it’s important to regularly connect with people you care about and cultivate healthy relationships with them. Positive social connections create a sense of belonging and acceptance. Ways to do this include:
- Spending time with people whose company you enjoy
- Calling or seeing your relatives
- Talking to a support group
- Finding a community, online or offline, to contribute to