|What actually makes up the anatomy of a great self-care routine? Each of us are born with our own unique qualities, personalities, and biological makings. We each form a distinct value and belief systems as we mature and grow. Yet there seems to be some fundamental areas of life that are essential or beneficial to foster in order to live a healthy and full life.
Please note: This article does not contain healthcare or therapeutic advice. If you are concerned about your health or well-being, speak with a health professional or visit your nearest medical facility in an emergency.
The Anatomy of a Great Self-Care Routine
This article will explore six of these fundamental areas of life that can combine to make up the anatomy of a great self-care routine - keep in mind there are many more areas that can be added to your own routine.
Anatomy: a study of the structure or internal workings of something. As we explore each area, ask yourself the follow questions: 1) How does each fundamental self-care area measure up in my own life? 2) What could I be doing differently to improve on a particular area so that I can reap the benefits of a great self-care routine? 
Healthy Eating
Nourishing our bodies is essential for life and although a human can go several weeks without food and survive, the impact of malnourishment can be hugely detrimental. The benefits of a healthy diet are seemingly endless including improving mood, preventing or combating illness and disease, increasing energy and longevity of living.
Consider your own eating habits and what dictates the food that you eat. Are these habits contributing to healthy eating? If not, what can you change in order to begin nourishing your body and soul with healthy foods? Solitude
As we live in a digital world, it can sometimes feel impossible to ever be truly alone. The world is at our fingertips and the devices we use on a daily basis help us to connect to others or keep up with current news around the world. Yet solitude and being alone can be an important component to a self-care routine. Mindfulness practices can help a person benefit from being alone.
Some of the benefits of mindfulness or meditation practices include:
Related: Top 3 Mental Health Apps 
Enjoying Interests
Even from a young age, each of us gravitates towards certain interests or activities that we enjoy engaging in. These activities may be influenced by the environment we live in or the access to a particular activity, but engaging in activities that promotes happiness or increased satisfaction in life can also contribute to a great self-care routine.
Consider your own interests in your life at the moment.. have these changed, or stayed the same throughout your life? How do you feel when you're participating in a particular interest or activity? How does this activity benefit your life? In recent years, I have started to learn to crochet (with the help of my very talented and crafty mom). Knitting and crocheting have been shown to decrease stress and promote physical and mental health - plus you can make some pretty cool stuff! What interests do you have? Check out: Can Massage Help Your Mental Health? Socializing
Humans are social beings, and just as important as spending time in solitude, spending time around others is also very important to promote a healthy self-care routine. Socializing can increase life satisfaction, decrease stress, and can even improve cognitive functioning.
Studies have shown that although socializing can be beneficial for people of all ages, the social interactions that older people experience can be just as important as physical activity. Regardless of your age, consider how your social life fits in with a healthy self-care routine for yourself or how spending time with others can increase your overall well-being. Watch the TED talk where Nicholas Christakis talks about the connection between an individuals friends and social network and how this can influence your health and happiness levels in both positive and negative ways. Reflection
Gaining insight and awareness about the actions we take or the experiences we have can also be part of a great self-care routine. As I shared in a previous post about Reflective journaling, "being reflective is the process of using metacognition, which refers to taking the time to think on a deeper level about ones own thinking, in order to acquire a different perspective of these thoughts that may have been overlooked at first. Reflection allows an individual to more carefully consider the profound experiences that have impacted on their lives, or become critically aware of how these experiences have shaped them in some way".
Practice being reflective by:
Related: 5 Ways to Build Self-Compassion Into Your Every Day Life Rest & Relaxation
And finally, rest and relaxation is a very important component of a great self-care routine. Having down time allows us to recharge, improves motivation and concentration levels, and allows our bodies to centre. What helps you to relax your mind and body?
Some examples might be:
Check out: Self-Care Strategies: 10 Ways to Promote Well-Being I hope you enjoyed this post exploring some of the essential areas of a self-care routine. Hopefully you have gained some insight or built on your existing self-care strategies so that you can take care of yourself throughout the day. In case you're looking for more resources to help with your mental health and well-being, sign up for the Mental Health Resource Vault for instant access to free wellness resources. References: healthline.com, mindful.org, apa.org 
This article does not contain healthcare or therapeutic advice. If you are concerned about your health or well-being, speak with a health professional or visit your nearest medical facility in an emergency. Some links on this page may be embedded with affiliate links.
22 Comments
Olga Parker
4/24/2017 11:58:51 am
Very important artice. We need to care of ourselves and these activities will help us to love ourselves more. I'd add sports to this list. Being in a good shape and seeing your beautiful healthy body in the mirror makes you happier and more proud :) 4/25/2017 03:17:20 pm
Great idea! Exercise can be super important to a self-care routine. Even walking can help. Thanks for the tip. :) 4/25/2017 03:19:00 pm
Thanks, Kim! Being around others can break a sense of isolation that can happen from being alone so much. 4/24/2017 04:33:22 pm
I also LOVE self-care but even knowing it's importance, I sometimes get so caught up with life that I just don't make time for simple things like eating healthy. Lovely post! 4/25/2017 03:22:46 pm
Yes, so true! Life can get so busy it can be easy toforget to take care of ourselves. If it becomes more of a routine, self-care can get easier. Thanks for your comment! 4/26/2017 09:17:55 pm
Thanks for your comment, Torrey! I'm glad to hear the article was a helpful reminder to take care of yourself.. it's true that it can be so easy to overlook!
Great article! 4/27/2017 09:51:54 pm
Having some down time or a nap can really boost energy levels, I'm glad to hear you're taking care of yourself in this way, Sarah. :)
As a caregiver, I find self-care to be particularly important. It's not always easy to accomplish, especially when I know that I'm falling behind on tasks. I've started to create a modified "To-Do" list. On it, I write down everything I'd like to get done within the week, but I categorize and color-code it in order of importance. So if something is important, but can technically wait a few days to be completed, I'll write it in blue. If it's extremely important and absolutely cannot wait, I'll write it in red...and so on. 4/27/2017 09:53:48 pm
Thanks so much for sharing your excellent to-do list categorization strategy! That sounds like a really great way of keeping track of everything you need to get done in a timely manner. Take good care, Alisha!
Solitude has always been highly important to me. As an introvert, and someone with sometimes extreme social anxiety, I have always had a strong need for solitude...it helps me to relax and regroup. That's the thing I miss most about my life pre-child! 4/30/2017 04:26:58 pm
I completely agree about needing solitude to recharge, Rachel. I just read an article about empaths needing extra alone time to be able to feel centered and grounding.. so true for me! I bet it is tough to find alone time with have children. :) Take care! 5/1/2017 01:04:26 pm
Some great tips! I really need to work on the healthy eating aspect. I am prone to eat my feelings, once I get my meds on track, I will definitely start a healthier regime. Hoping that'll be sooner rather than later! 3/13/2020 12:13:00 pm
It can be tough to eat healthier but starting small can help like with healthy snacks. 3/13/2020 12:13:25 pm
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