Self-care

What’s self-care?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines self-care as:

• Activities that you consciously do to take care of your health

• AND activities you do to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.

How to take care of yourself

Self-care is a broad concept, so for ease of understanding, we have identified 8 types of self-care:

💪 Physical

Involves movement of the body, health, nutrition, sleep, rest, physical touch and sexual needs.

• Feeding your body with nourishing foods.

• Exercising and keeping your body fit

• Getting enough sleep

We cover tips to keep up your physical health in detail here. If you are having sex as a person living with HIV, you may also be interested in this article.

☺️ Emotional

Involves things related to your emotions, such as enhancing emotional literacy, increasing empathy, and managing stress

• Learning to set boundaries, saying No

• Make time for reflecting on feelings and expressing gratitude

• Practice self-compassion and compassion for others

🧘 Psychological/Mental

Involves things related to your mind, such as learning new things, being creative, practising mindfulness.

• Meditation, practising mindfulness, journaling

• Learning or teaching a new skill

• Take up something creative like drawing, singing, dancing, playing an instrument etc

• Undergo a digital Detox (not checking social media for an extended time)

• Getting psychological help such as through hotlines or counselling

🙏 Spiritual

Involves the beliefs and value that are important to you and guide your life

• Mediating, Praying, Going on a spiritual retreat

• Reflecting in a journal, aligning your life with your values

• Volunteering at a local organisation. We have some suggestions here.

🤝 Social

Involves having a supportive group and network of relationships around you

• Don’t spend time with people who don’t make you feel good about yourself

• Ask for help when you need it

• Make time for loved ones, catch up with friends, meet new people

• Get involved with volunteer work. We have some suggestions here.

🏡 Environmental

Involves having an environment that you are happy to live and work in,

• Declutter and clean your room/ home/ work environment

• Do the laundry to have clean clothes

• Recycle and adopt environmentally-friendly practices

💵 Financial

Involves being responsible with your finances (expenses, income, insurance, savings etc) and having a conscious relationship with money.

• Knowing where your income is coming from

• Knowing where your expenses are due and pay them on time

• Saving money wisely

💼 Professional

Involves sharing your strengths and gifts, having clear professional boundaries, understanding your purpose in your role

• Knowing your roles and responsibilities at work, negotiating your needs at work with your boss

• Having clear professional boundaries

• Upskilling by attending training programmes

Make an effort - it’s worth it!

Despite what you might see on social media or online, self-care is not always easy. Many people, especially those with existing mental health conditions, find self-care difficult. 

This can be due to many reasons, such as feeling selfish, not knowing how, confusing self-care with comfort, waiting for others to care for us, and the fear of drawing out negative emotions. 

The act of caring for yourself and your needs is radical and may involve radical changes to your life, it is not easy but extremely important for your long-term well-being!