People consider grooming tips as something that sets boundaries on how a person should be. They say it’s like influencing someone towards how the society wants them to be and make them feel they are not good enough.
Whereas I feel self grooming is a choice, if you want to improve, you can find a way to it. But, taking care of yourself as you are, making yourself feel good about who you are is self care. And that, my friend, is definitely necessary.
(Do not miss out on the checklist attached at the end of this article.)
Read more: What is self grooming, and why is it important?
Quarantine has helped us have a lot of time for ourselves, and now it’s our turn to make use of it. (It’s okay if you don’t feel like doing anything. But, you won’t be here if that’s the case.)
Now, since you have a lot of time for care for yourself and self grooming, let’s look into all the aspects of these. Then, you can figure out your area of focus. (You can skip self grooming portion if you feel there is no need to improve.)
Also, read- Healthy habits you can form during the quarantine.
Let’s get started!
What is self care?
In the simplest words, self care is taking care of yourself on your own. Now, this does not mean you have to constantly look at your actions and make yourself better. That would be self grooming.
And, that is something you do to become a better version of yourself. But, self care is everything you do for who you presently are. That does not mean you should not try to change, you obviously should, but that’s a different topic.
So, what you do as self care is different from what you do as self-improvement or self grooming.
What is self grooming?
Everything you do to become a better version of yourself is self grooming.
Grooming has two sides to it; physical and mental grooming. And, for the wholesome development, you have to work on both of these.
Read more: 10 physical and mental grooming tips.
What is self care routine?
A self care routine is a list of things you do regularly to take good care of yourself. It does not mean you have to spend a lot of money on yourself, and it is never about being selfish. Also, it is not a waste of time.
A self care routine adds a few things to your normal life to help you make time for yourself.
What is a good self care routine? Or a good self grooming routine?
A good self care routine is made while keeping in mind all the important aspects of self care. The process is the same for any other routine, as well.
If you aim at self care, your self care routine should have all the things that are a part of self care routine.
What are the five key areas of self care?
As I said, a good self care routine should have everything associated with all the important areas of self care, so let’s see what these areas are.
5 key areas of self care are;
1.Physical self care
It means taking care of your body and health. Here, you need to look after the bodily requirements of your body.
2.Psychological self care
It deals with the mental health of individuals. Here, you need to make your mind peaceful and healthy.
3.Emotional self care
It is about the emotional needs of individuals. Here, you need to look after your emotional awareness.
4.Spiritual self care
It is about your beliefs and values. Here, you look and recall things that are essential for you and the things that guide you.
5.Social self care
It is about having a positive environment and people around you. It will help you have a positive and supportive mindset.
From the above, we can see how every area of self care talks about the little changes that we as individuals need to make, as a part of our self care routine.
A checklist that deals with all of these areas of self care will make a good self care routine.
14 self care tips for quarantine.
You can take it as a quarantine self care routine, as well.
For physical self care
Eat healthily more often
Have more fruits and veggies. There are a lot of healthy and tasty fruits you can have. Also, try to add these foods to your diet. You can have junk food, once a week.
Read more: What are the healthy and tasty fruits you can have?
Stay hydrated
Water is more important than we realize. So, have lots and lots of water. It provides a lot of health benefits and also protects us from various diseases. It keeps you active and fresh.
Stay active
Do anything to keep yourself active, even a 10-minute jog would work. Try working out or do yoga.
Read more:
- Why is walking good for us?
- 5 basic exercises you can do at home.
- 5 basic yoga postures you can start doing today.
For Psychological self care
Have proper sleep
An 8-hour sleep is essential for the efficient working of the body and mind. Anything below that will make you feel tired and drowsy during the day. You can surely fix your sleep schedule during the quarantine.
Unplug
Well, that term is usually used in a technological context, but here, I mean to unplug stress. Do things that distract you from the stress and worries in your life. Read a book, go for a walk, listen to music or anything that you like to do.
Learn or do something new
When you try to do new things, you tend to forget about things that are stressing you. Try to do something you always wanted to, have fun doing it. Relax and enjoy every moment.
New things you can do during the quarantine. This may help you find new things to do in the quarantine.
For Emotional self care
Reflect upon yourself
Emotional self care is essential for inner well being. You can not be physically fit, while you are not well on the inside. Change things that make you unhappy or stressed. Do everything you like to do, and do see if its good for you or not.
Talk to yourself about how you feel, cry it out if you want.
Stay positive
Staying positive is also a part of mental or psychological self care. You should try to stay positive about yourself, your feeling, and everything around you. When you stay positive you feel emotionally and mentally light.
Try yoga for emotional and mental benefits.
Compliment yourself.
Be proud of who and how you are, appreciate, and compliment yourself. Forget what people feel or say about you. Love yourself to the fullest.
For spiritual self care
Recall your values
Every time you are about to do something, recall your values and beliefs. Try to figure out if what you are about to say or do is morally correct or not? How will the other person feel about it? How will you feel about it later? Ask these questions to yourself.
Meditate
Once in a day, most apparently before sleeping, meditate. Take deep breaths and forget about everything bad that happened to you during the day. Relax and have a great sleep.
Try Sukhasana, one of the yoga poses that provide meditative benefits. (How to do it?)
Pray
Pray and thank god for your well being. It is the best spiritual therapy. Read verses from the Bible that give you strength and peace.
For Social self care
Spend more time with friends and family
Quarantine has given all of us the big opportunity to spend a lot of time with our family, make use of it. Talk to them, play together, eat together, watch movies. All of this will give a sense of peace and love. Even after the quarantine, continue to spend time with them, whenever possible. Stay connected with your friends.
Keep a good company
Be with people who support you in the right things and help you stay positive. Such social surroundings will help you feel good and positive about yourself.
Conclusion
In this post, we talked about self-care. And, we got to know that it is nothing but being;
- Physically fit and active
- Mentally sound
- Emotionally strong
- Spiritually attached and
- Having a positive social surrounding.
Here is a routine checklist to make things simple for you.
Share this with your friends if you find it useful. Tell us about your self-care journey in the comments section below.
