Five ways to upgrade your self-care regime

To be well-equipped to handle life's challenges and day-to-day stress, and to avoid feeling overwhelmed and tired all of the time, it's vital to give yourself an annual self-care MOT.

Self-care is an important multi-dimensional and multi-faceted personal practice that many people often forget to maintain. The essential self-care strategies that promote the healthy functioning of your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing help to recalibrate your body so that you can re-establish its natural balance.

By upgrading your self-care regime, you'll be able to prioritise your mind, body and spirit, so that you can enjoy better health and vitality, and experience more joy and happiness in your life.

1. Physical

Physical self-care involves understanding what your body needs to maintain good health. What you eat and drink, the amount and intensity of physical activity and exercise that you take, and the number of hours that you sleep every day all impact on your physical wellbeing. Attending healthcare appointments and taking medication as prescribed also affect how you manage your health.

Regular exercise, good hygiene, and high-quality sleep are sustainable habits that effectively reduce stress and burnout, and help to improve overall physical health. Ensuring that you're always well hydrated, that you eat a balanced, nutrient-dense diet and reduce alcohol and nicotine intake, will give your body the kickstart it needs to get back into balance.

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2. Mental

Your psychological wellbeing is influenced by what you think about day-to-day, as well as your inner dialogue, perspective and mindset. For good mental health, it's crucial to fuel your mind with positive thoughts that support your wellbeing, and that boost your self-esteem and self-confidence.

Practicing self-compassion and acceptance, and mindfulness and gratitude can shift your outlook on life for the better. Stay mentally healthy by being around upbeat people, removing yourself from toxic situations, and focusing on the moment.

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3. Emotional

Emotional self-care teaches you how to acknowledge and express your feelings openly and safely, and how to exercise coping skills so that you can process uncomfortable emotions like anger, anxiety and sadness. A lack of emotional self-care can create problems that impact on your mental health.

It's a healthy habit to acknowledge that you are worthy of love and everything you want in life, and to accept that you are perfect but also flawed (just like everyone else is). Negate negative self-talk and focus on the positive. Set healthy boundaries and maintain emotional stability by taking all the time that you need to process difficult emotions.

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4. Spiritual

It's not a mandatory requirement to be religious to have good spiritual health. Spirituality is a personal matter and doesn't have to follow any form of traditional practice. You can nurture your spirit by connecting to Source (or whatever greater power you believe in) via meditation practice, spend time communing with nature, or develop a deeper sense of meaning and understanding of humanity and the universe in another way.

It's good self-care practice to spend time in your own company, learning how to connect with your Higher Self, Soul or Source. Engaging in meaningful activities that align with your core values, and being in nature can provide spiritual sustenance too.

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5. Social

Social connection is an important part of a self-care regime. While your personality primarily determines your social needs, being able to cultivate and maintain close connections with others is fundamental to your wellbeing.

To create an optimal social life, schedule regular downtime with people that you love and care about. Meet up with friends and family, and enjoy fun activities together.

Even if you're happy to spend quality time on your own, it's important to socially interact with others every once in a while. Chatting with people online and communicating via SMS can give your social health a vital boost of positive energy that triggers those feelgood, happy hormones.

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It's important to remember that although at times you may be in need of more self-care in one key area, maintaining an upgraded self-care regime will enable you to easily identify an imbalance as soon as it occurs, whether it's physical, emotional or otherwise. You can then take easy and effective steps to rebalance your equilibrium instantly.