Most people think of self care as taking a personal day off work, booking a spa appointment, or indulging in a pint of ice cream, and they’re not wrong. However, there are many types of self care, and they can address every facet of your life. Here are just a few worth adding to your self care checklist.
Physical Self Care
Physical self care involves anything that helps you maintain good physical health or recover from illness or injury, such as:
Sleep or rest
Stretching and moderate exercise (within your ability to do so)
Booking and keeping primary care and other medical appointments
Mindfully adhering to a healthy, balanced diet
Fresh air, sunshine, and avoiding pollution related to air quality, light, and noise
Emotional or Mental Self Care
Emotional self care is essential to your mental health and happiness, and the techniques you use should be tailored to your specific needs:
Find healthy ways to manage stress
Take time to relax and rejuvenate each day
Try a mental health or meditation app
Take a vacation, staycation, or personal time off work
Try yoga, Tai Chi, or other mind-centering forms of exercise
Social Self Care
Social self care helps you to form, build, or maintain important healthy relationships in your life. These may include:
Not spreading yourself too thin on social engagements or responsibilities
Spending quality time with people who care about you, or distancing yourself from toxic relationships
Taking time to do fun things with friends
Finding ways to meet new people in a relaxed, low-stakes setting
Taking a break from social media, especially if there is too much negativity in your feed or conversations
Planning a date night with your significant other, or a high-quality date with a new person if you are single
Asking for help when you need it
Environmental Self Care
Environmental self care can be anything that makes your home or neighborhood safer, healthier, and more comfortable, including:
Organizing storage spaces or catching up on laundry or cleaning
Getting necessary repairs and replacements done
Making a decor purchase (wall art, curtains, rugs, picture frames, racks, etc.) that will make your home more comfortable, inviting, or functional
Working in your own garden or a community garden
Self care is particularly important for parents and caregivers of children with physical or intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). If you are one, be sure to enlist help with your caregiving needs!
Progressive Lifestyles Supports Caregiver Self Care
Progressive Lifestyles, Inc. is dedicated to providing innovative support services for people with disabilities. Our mission is to provide supportive and caring residential opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout Oakland County, Michigan.
A primary focus of our organization is to interact with the individuals we support through the “Culture of Gentleness” model. We seek to create a positive environment to help them feel safe and valued while maximizing praise, limiting demands, maintaining consistent structure, and reducing stress during transitions. We support wellness for all of our employees and encourage self care for family caregivers.
We are hiring! No experience? No worries! You bring a warm heart and we'll teach you how to be a fantastic caregiver plus give you skills that you can use to further your career. Apply now!