Do not get me wrong; I love a good mani and pedi, a nice Sunday brunch and I can always go for a massage. Think about the images on your social media feeds every weekend. These events are what we always post, using #selfcare. What if you can not really afford that $45+ Sunday brunch? Is treating yourself always a form of self-care?

Oxford’s dictionary defines self-care as the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health. I personally define it as your spiritual, mental, financial and pysical, balanced well-being. It is about taking care of your whole self.

When talking about self-care, we typically do not consider our finances. Well, we should. How you spend and save your money says alot about where you are and where you want to be finacially. Pysical well-being is more than going to the gym, it is mostly about what foods you are allowing yourself to put in your body. I’m so happy that society is more open to discussing mental health. This hopefully encourages you to spend time in reflection and taking action where needed in concerns to your mental health. Lastly, spiritual and religious health requires intentional quality time spent on what you believe.

Here are some practical ways to incorporate self-care for your whole life.

The health of your finances can take you many places or it can hold you back from your desired lifestyle. Invest in finacial advisor or someone that can create a realistic budget for you. This year, I did that for the first time and I was able to see money that I was missing out on. I was advised on how to save and what banking institutions would benefit my finacial goals.

Say no to trips and outings when you know that you can not afford it. Learning to say no will give you confidence (all around) and it will train you to be disciplined to follow goals that you have set for yourself. Have multiple accounts. An account that pays bills, account(s) for savings (long term/ short term) and an account for everyday use (grocery, gas, miscellaneous things).

My favorite foods to eat are cinnimon rolls and french fries, however, I know that those are foods that I should not enjoy often. When people think about physical well-being, it is typically focused on the fitness aspect and not particularly one’s eating habits. This is not me preaching about veganism or being a vegetarian, it is about being conscious about what you choose to eat. Over the years, I had the retrain my tastebuds and pay attention to what foods make my body hold on to water and what foods make me bloated. Please take the time to try new healthy food options.

The last point that I will make is to make sure that you dedicate enough “you” time every day. This can be time set aside to work on a desired project, a time for reflection and journaling , time for research or what ever you want to spend time doing. It does not have to be an hour, or an hour every day. It should be intentional time set aside for yourself. Get to learn about yourself . Any strong relationship takes time, so give yourself that time. You deserve it.

Self -care is more than what the world sees, it is about making sure that your full well-being is taken care of .

From me,

Chrissy