As the new year approaches, It’s an excellent opportunity to reflect on yourself. Do you need to refresh or recalibrate your lifestyle? Taking time to unwind and relax can help prepare you for success. Are you prioritizing every aspect of your self-care?
When examining self-care, it’s essential to consider the eight different dimensions:
1. Emotional
2. Financial
3. Social
4. Spiritual
5. Occupational
6. Physical
7. Intellectual
8. Environmental
Each dimension addresses a different aspect of our being that assists in keeping our energy balanced and impacts our health. It’s worth noting that when not in balance as we age, we can develop “Lifestyle Diseases.” Diabetes Type 2, High Blood Pressure/Hypertension, Heart Disease, and or Obesity.
I used to think of self-care and well-being
as:
Practicing gratitude
Focus on Positivity
Eating Healthy
Daily exercise
Getting enough sleep
Staying hydrated
Annual Checkups and vaccines
Staying connected with family and friends
Attending social events
Monthly facials
Bubble bath
Bi-weekly Mani-Pedi’s
Spa Visits
While my Chocolate Spa membership at The Hotel Hersey is undoubtedly a relaxing experience, I want to explore many more dimensions of self-care.
Oh, I must mention that last week’s Hotel Hershey spa stay included accommodations at The Villas and the new Villa Concierge’s Lounge. The Concierge Lounge offers complimentary continental breakfast, grab-and-go snacks and fountain drinks, evening hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, and desserts. And the hotel now uses L’Occitane bath toiletries, oh la la!
Let’s explore the eight dimensions of self-care:
Emotional:
Not only coping with satisfying relationships but also weeding out people with negative energy who don’t support you.
Financial:
Make sure you look beyond your current financial situation and plan for future retirement.
Social:
Once you retire, your circle of friends can shrink. Staying connected and looking for opportunities to branch out and meet new people is essential.
Spiritual:
You never lose hope when you have a sense of purpose and believe in something.
Occupational:
Personal satisfaction in your vocation or find an avocational opportunity to volunteer to serve/help others.
Physical:
A sedimentary lifestyle contributes to immobility and stiffness. The heart is a muscle. If not challenged, it loses its effectiveness in working your body. If nothing else, a 20-minute walk a day helps. Don’t be a couch potato. Get enough sleep every day and eat healthy meals and snacks.
Intellectual:
As we age, it’s essential to challenge your mind with stimulation to expand your mind and knowledge.
Environmental:
Happy and healthy surroundings where you live and whom you live with – don’t allow any toxicity!
“Everything we judge, we give our energy to
◊ Everything we fight, we give our energy to
♣ Everything we work hard to avoid, we give energy to
Every time we meditate, we get our energy back.”
I have a short attention span and never addressed it earlier in life. However, I taught myself how to stay focused to complete tasks. Recently, I started practicing mindfulness through meditation and discovered its effectiveness. Let me say this: silence is golden. Who knew the power of silence and meditation? Not me. There are ten types of meditation: my initial thoughts of meditation are chanting with transcendental. I focus on breathing and “do nothing” meditation.
Meditation is a form of self-care/well-being. As you can see from the Power of Meditation image above, some of the benefits of meditating:
😩 Stress Reduction
🫤 Improved Mental Health
💤 Better Sleep
🧖🏾♀️ Increased Self Awareness/Consciousness
🧠 Improved Concentration
😉 Better Problem Solving
🤗 Happier, more peaceful life
🧖🏾♀️ Better ability to adapt
With my short attention span, my mind wandered as I began to meditate. To help with this, I started listening to classical music, particularly in the keys of E and B. This approach trains my mind to listen and stay focused. Conscious breathing also helps me relax and meditate. When you breathe slowly and deeply, you are practicing one of the easiest and best forms of relaxation available. During my first pregnancy with my daughter, Channing, the Lamaze class recommended deep, controlled breathing to help with the intense labor pains. It worked!
Finally, let’s stop thinking of self-care as a spa visit, monthly facials, and beauty appointments and consider it the full circle of the eight dimensions of self-care.
Until next time, thank you for reading.
