Lisa Chestnut
Member of Third Presbyterian Church
Owner of IntentionallyYou.com
So, you’ve been told time and time again that self-care is key to a healthy life – but what does that really mean? The truth is, there IS no one right way to care for yourself!
There are many definitions of self-care, but some key elements include taking care of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
I believe that self-care is choosing to do something healthy and fulfilling, not because it is expected of you, but because you want to; so that you can be in a good place the next day. Self-care is a lot more than trying to fit in a workout or a spa day into your schedule, it is having the freedom to enjoy yourself and quality time with family and friends. 
Body and mind are two key dimensions that need attention when it comes to self-care because they’re interconnected; when one part of our body is hurting or not functioning properly (like our brain), the entire body suffers. Mental well-being includes things like managing stress and anxiety, cultivating positive thoughts, and listening to constructive criticism – all of which benefit us physically.
Choosing to treat your body and mind with love and respect is a daily act of self-care that we all should make a priority in our lives.
There are many ways to approach self-care, from focusing on one aspect at a time to incorporating it into your lifestyle overall.
I think it’s important to approach self-care in a way that feels comfortable for you, so I try to do different things depending on what I’m feeling like on any given day. For mind, body and spirit, I typically focus on one aspect of my care every day; this might be meditation or journaling or reading spiritual books.
I try to set aside a few hours each day for solitude. This is important to me because I believe in solitude as a part of the spiritual path. When I am not with people, I can focus on my own inner world. I always set aside time to be alone in nature as well. It all helps me get centered and find balance in my life.
Self-care must be a priority for you.
Self-care is also much more than keeping up with a healthy lifestyle—it’s an act of constant awareness and compassion for your own needs.
Self-care is self-nurturing. This involves being mindful, centering, and grounded. It is treating yourself like you treat all other people in your life. This means that you must take care of you.
Remember that self-care is more than a matter of health. Self-care is a way of living that embraces all of who you are, while enhancing the totality of who you are, as a human being.
Be intentional about your self-care, it will serve you well.
Lisa Chestnut
Member of Third Presbyterian Church
Owner of IntentionallyYou.com
Intentionally You is a lifestyle brand that produces natural skin care + stationery products designed to help you achieve mental, physical & spiritual wellness.
3 Comments
Aline Russell
Thank you!
Thirza Sayers
Great post…so important. Something that I have recently adopted is calling self-care “daily maintenance” because self-care sounds like something nice I do when I have time. Daily maintenance is required for my system to run well. What do you think?
Angie
It’s so easy to forget yourself when caring for others. Thank you for writing what I needed to hear. Family and friends have told me this before but reading it made me remember what they had said also. Thank you Lisa.