Making Self-Care a New Years Resolution

Many people have a difficult time prioritizing self-care. I know I've struggled with prioritizing myself in the past. It's easy to put our families and careers first; before you know it, there's no time left for ourselves.

I've learned the hard way that I had to start prioritizing self-care to be a better person for others and for my health. It was challenging to get started because I felt guilty, and starting a new routine took some time.

What is Self-care?

Let's clear up one common misconception: Self-care is not synonymous with self-indulgence or selfishness. Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, be well, do your job, help, and care for others, and do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day.

Several organizations and researchers take a health-oriented approach when defining self-care. The World Health Organization defines self-care as: "the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider."

According to this definition, self-care includes everything related to staying physically healthy — including hygiene, nutrition, and seeking medical care when needed. It's all the steps an individual can take to manage stressors in life and take care of their health and well-being.

As self-care has become more mainstream, the definitions have become more applicable to the general public and focus on tuning in to one's needs and meeting those needs. "Self-care is anything that you do for yourself that feels nourishing," says Marni Amsellem, PhD, a licensed psychologist based in Trumbull, Connecticut.

The 7 Pillars of Self Care

Each method of self-care fits into one of the seven pillars: mental, emotional, physical, environmental, spiritual, recreational, and social. A well-balanced self-care routine involves each of these, so avoid restricting yourself to just one or two pillars.

Check out our blog to learn more about the seven pillars of self-care.

Here are some helpful tips for starting a new routine:

1. Decide what needs to be in your routine. Do you want to get more exercise or more alone time
2. Set small goals. Break each large goal into smaller goals
3. Layout a plan
4. Be consistent with time
5. Be prepared
6. Make it fun
7. Track your progress
8. Reward yourself