These 5 Important Pillars of Self-Care are Eye-Opening

What is Self-care?

In this busy and active world we live in, we occasionally become easily fatigued and overwhelmed. That’s where the 5 Pillars of self-care come in. Self care can mean getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, meditating, participating in social activities, and taking breaks when we need them. When we take care of ourselves, we’re better able to do our best in everything we do. If we don’t, our mind and body will suffer.

Sarah is a perfect example.

Sarah is a 38-year-old marketing professional. She has a hard career, family obligations, and a desire to stay in touch with her pals. She suffered a panic attack at work because she was so overwhelmed after a particularly difficult workweek. It was at this very time that she realized how poorly she had been meeting her own needs.

The tale Sarah tells is one that many others have already told. In fact, moderate to high levels of stress are experienced by almost 75% of people, and over half report that their level of stress has increased in the last year. These are concerning figures that demonstrate how many people prioritize getting things done over taking care of themselves.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, self-care is “care for oneself.” We really need self-care because it helps us stay happy and healthy. Without it, we’d feel more worried and tired.

The 5 Pillars of Self-care:

Pillars of Self-care

Physical Self-Care

Physical self-care is all about taking care of your body by doing things that keep you healthy and strong. This might include getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and having a balanced diet. When you take care of your body, you have more energy to play, learn and have fun. It helps you feel good and stay healthy so you can do all those things you love to do. Imagine not being able to throw a baseball around, or chase after your kids (if you have them.)

Emotional Self-Care

Emotional self-care involves being in tune with your feelings, acknowledging them, and taking steps to address them in a healthy way. By recognizing and validating your emotions, you can better understand yourself and your needs. This matters so much because our emotions impact our mental and physical health. Ignoring emotions can lead to anxiety, depression, stress, and other negative effects on our well-being.

Mental Self-Care

When we refer to Mental Self-Care, we’re talking about the intentional actions and practices that an individual engages in to maintain and enhance their mental well-being. This might involve actions and strategies that help manage stress, improve our mood, foster resilience, or promote overall psychological health. 

Mental self-care can include a wide variety of activities such as journaling, relaxation techniques, mindfulness, therapy, healthy social interactions, and activities that simply bring joy and fulfillment to our lives.

I am personally drawn to reading when it comes to taking care of my mental health. Whether it’s a self-help book or a book on philosophy, it helps me think outside the box. Reading is by far my favorite source of knowledge when it comes to mental self-care.

Social Self-Care

Social Self-Care refers to those activities and practices which we should engage in that nurture and maintain healthy relationships and social connections. This could be fostering meaningful interactions with others, promoting a sense of belonging or providing emotional support.

Social self-care also includes spending quality time with family and friends, participating in group activities, engaging in community service and seeking out help or even giving help to a friend. Having someone to talk to or being there for someone in need can really be a life saver.

Spiritual self-care

Now, if you’re not a religious person, you may be thinking of skipping over this pillar, but I assure you, it doesn’t exactly have to be about church and god. It’s important to feel connected to something bigger than yourself. This could be a higher power, nature, or even your own inner thoughts and feelings. 

Spiritual self-care practices include, but are not limited to, praying, meditating, mindful thinking, spending time in nature or simply doing things that match your values and beliefs.

Recap on the Pillars of Self-care

If you’ve made it this far, I want to congratulate you on the first step toward self-care. I can’t emphasize enough how important taking care of yourself really is. It doesn’t have to be done all at once though. Pick an area from the pillars of self-care where you’re struggling to start off with and just work on that one pillar, even if it’s a few times a week for 30 minutes a day. 

I like to start my day with gratitude. It also might be a good place for you to start too! I begin my day writing down or thinking of one thing that I’m grateful for. It could be something as small as having a roof over your head or being thankful for having someone to confide in when you need someone to talk to. If the latter is the case, extend that gratitude toward them. I’m sure it’ll brighten their day a little.

Again, these are the 5 Important Pillars of Self-Care:

• Physical Self-Care: exercising, having a balanced diet, getting quality sleep, and regular medical check-ups.
• Emotional Self-Care: understanding and managing our emotions, finding ways to relax, and talking to someone we trust when we feel upset.
• Mental Self-Care: keeping our minds active and engaged through learning, reading, puzzles, and mindfulness practices.
• Social Self-Care: spending time with friends and family, building strong relationships, and participating in social activities.
• Spiritual Self-Care: connecting with our beliefs and values, which can include practices like meditation, prayer, or spending time in nature.

Did this article help you in any way? Have you had a positive or negative experience while practicing one of the pillars of self-care? I want to hear all about it. Drop a comment, send me an email at Admin@anthonyvogt.com or even find me on instagram (@anthonyvogtnj) and shoot me a DM.

I’d absolutely love to hear from you!

Additional Resources

Books:

(The links listed below are affilliate links, You are in no way pressured to purchase using my links)

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson (https://amzn.to/45rqfpe)

This book has got me out of some dark places. It’s amazing that learning what and when you should be devoting your energy into something can make a difference. Giving your energy to the wrong things can really eat away at your well-being.

The Comfort Book by Matt Haig (https://amzn.to/45pOkwQ) 

Matt Haig truly has a way of inspiring you to think. From the stories he tells to the aphorisms he includes, this book is essential for happiness when you’re in a dark place.This book is definitely meant to be read a little at a time so you can really digest the thought provoking insights Haig has to offer.

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman (https://amzn.to/3KGgQke) 

There are 365 entries in this book which are intended to serve as a once a day read. The authors encourage this to really drive in the lessons that can be taken from each page. Filled with knowledge and insights, this book was my saving grace. It reminded me of a lot of the things in life that I already knew but took for granted and at other times it shined a light on a new way of thinking that I didn’t realize was possible. 

Hotlines

If you or someone you know is in need of serious help or you just need support there are a few numbers you can call 24 hours a day.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 988

National Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990

Hopeline(Emotional Support): 1-877-235-4525 or text HOPELINE to 741741

Council on Compulsive Gambling: 1-800-GAMBLER

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Final Thoughts

This might be a lot to take in, I get it. I urge you to pick and choose the areas you feel interest you most. I want to leave you with a little story that some of you might be able to relate to.

It was May of 2020, the world was in a frenzy due to Covid-19. (I’m not going to get into Covid itself because that’s opening up a whole can of worms that I don’t feel like getting into at the moment.) Lockdown was in place and my happy-go-lucky life as I knew it was about to be shaken up right from under me. The amount of isolation and self-reflection that took place was not what I expected. I went into a dark place.

With no social interaction, and the amount of friends I seemed to have dwindling down, I started to become depressed. Being the fighter I am, I chose to seek inward and learn about myself more instead of wallowing in self-pity and letting the darkness win. I took to the internet and found self-help communities that I could relate to. One of them recommended the book “The Daily Stoic.” I read that book every day for a year, and by the end I can honestly say that I started to learn who I really was and what I was lacking in life. It was self-care.

I wasn’t taking care of myself enough. I was a people pleaser and would go with the crowd instead of listening to what my mind and body really needed. It wasn’t until I got deeper into learning about self-care that I truly started discovering what happiness really meant. 

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Be kind to others but most importantly yourself. If you don’t fill your cup first, you’ll run out of liquid by the time it comes back around to you.