Different Types of Self-Care
Taking care of ourselves is necessary - the relationship we have with ourselves is one of the most important ones that we have. But how we take care of ourselves is equally as important. Not all self-care is made the same. I like to break down self-care into two different categories: the fun types, and the not-so-fun types. Both are important to balance to ensure that the “not-so-fun” self-care practices don’t get neglected because when we start to get off-kilter for too long, chances are good we’ll start to experience overwhelm and dread about some of these practices. When this occurs, our brains are more likely to want to avoid perceived or actual overwhelming situations and therefore, we continue to neglect engaging in these things which only leads to more dread, anxiety, and overwhelm. It’s an unrelenting mental and behavioral trap; let’s try to stay ahead of this.
Below I will list examples (not all inclusive) about ways to practice self-care in both of these categories and how long, on average, the “not-so-fun” ones take to help the brain see that some of these tasks we like to put off and procrastinate on, actually don’t take that much time to complete. We probably waste more time thinking about completing a few of these tasks than it would actually take to just do them!
Examples of “fun” self-care practices:
Getting a massage
Taking a warm bath
Getting a hair-cut and/or shave
Getting a manicure/pedicure
Reading
Watching TV/Netflix/Hulu/Disney
Playing video games
Going on a coffee run
Grabbing brunch or dinner with a friend
Examples of “not-so fun” self-care practices:
Scheduling an annual physical appt with primary care physician (PCP) - 10 minutes max
Finding a PCP if you don’t have one - 1 - 2 hours
Scheduling a dentist appointment - 10 minutes max
Going to therapy ;) - 60 minutes (+ ___ minutes if you’re commuting, +0 minutes if you’re telehealth)
Working out/going for a walk/to the gym/strength training - 15 - 60 minutes
Doing the laundry/washing bed sheets - 2.5 hours total (30 minutes max of active energy exertion)
Paying bills on time/budgeting - 2 hours-ish/week
Cleaning out the junk drawer - 20 minutes
Fixing your sleep schedule/getting enough sleep - ongoing. 8 hours+/day.
Make it a goal to pick at least one item from each list and get it done. Notice how you might feel a sense of accomplishment once it is done.
Piece of encouragement: practice makes progress.
