Self-care is simply taking care of yourself – ranging from physical, mental, spiritual, or relational.¹ 

Sometimes, self-care is falsely depicted as self-indulgence or “treating yourself.”  In reality, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as the ability of individuals and families to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness.¹ 

With life expectancy increasing and rising chronic health conditions, self-care is more important than ever. Identifying critical self-care routines can help you prioritize what matters most for your well-being and those around you.² 

This article will teach you about self-care and its crucial role in health and wellness, practical self-care routines for the new year, and responses to FAQs.

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What is Self-Care?

As mentioned earlier, the WHO describes self-care as the ability to: 

• Promote health
• Prevent disease (acute or chronic)
• Maintain your health
• Cope with illnesses¹

Many people feel self-care is frivolous based on false understandings of it. Social media may depict self-care as overconsuming indulgent foods or drinks, getting manicures or massages, or taking expensive trips or vacations.

As you read through the list of activities the WHO defines as self-care, you see it is more about taking responsibility for your current health and preventing future health problems as best as possible. 

Understanding what self-care is (and is not) can help you prioritize different types of self-care to advocate for your healthcare needs, improve your quality of life and healthy years, and improve your ability to care for others around you. 

Different Types of Self-Care

Taking care of yourself occurs across the spectrum of your health - from physical to mental to relational and spiritual needs. 

Self-care is essential to maintain, and when life gets stressful or busy, these pivotal self-care activities often suffer first at the cost of your health. 

Here are some examples of different types of self-care:

1. Physical or Medical

Each person is unique and will have different chronic health conditions to manage or prevent. 

Some ways to practice physical self-care include getting enough daily exercise, monitoring your blood pressure or blood glucose levels, eating a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, getting quality sleep, minimal alcohol use, and routine medical care.^{2, 3}

2. Mental and Emotional

Researchers agree that mental health self-care includes being aware of your mental state and its changing nature throughout life, providing grace and compassion towards oneself, and working on strategies to achieve emotional balance.⁴ 

Activities include relaxation and stress management strategies like breathing exercises, yoga, listening to music, engaging in physical movement you enjoy, serving others, prayer, gratitude, and seeking professional counseling. 

3. Relational or Social

Supportive relationships are a major predictor of overall improved health and longer quality of life, as research on over 300,000 adults shows.⁵ 

Building strong, supportive relationships takes work and time. 

Ways to cultivate relationships include regular meetings with friends and family (walking, getting coffee, and doing life together), connecting with faith-based groups, volunteering with others, or joining others with similar interests (pickleball, running, fishing, or quilting group). 

Assess what self-care habits are critical for your overall health and quality of life. 

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href=self-compassion-and-self-love>A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Compassion and Self-Love</a></a>.</div>

Benefits of Prioritizing Self-Care

The benefits of self-care can be hard to quantify. However, improving one's physical, mental, and relational health can prevent many health problems and their consequences.

Here are just a few benefits of self-care. 

• Individuals who prioritize regular moderate-intensity exercise (like walking, biking, or swimming) for 150 minutes a week reduce their risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, infectious diseases like the flu or colds, strengthen bones and muscles, increase their chances of living longer, and manage chronic health conditions better.⁵ 
• Improved nutrition and balanced eating can prevent or manage many nutrition-related health conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.⁶
• You become a model for others around you who may not know how to practice self-care or are just starting to recognize its importance. You can show them how to set healthy routines and boundaries to better their own lives. 
• Healthy sleep routines are critical to managing stress, reducing illness, and managing chronic health conditions. Poor sleep is associated with type 2 diabetes and trouble managing blood sugar levels.⁷

Proper self-care can keep you healthy in the short and long term. 

7 Ways to Practice Self-Care

As you enter 2025, reflect on your past self-care routines. Sift through the list and consider adding new ways to practice self-care this year to continue to improve your health. 

1. Eat a Balanced Diet

Opt for eating styles that provide an abundance of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and lean protein choices like chicken and fish. 

Eat meals spaced appropriately to fuel your body for work and life. 

2. Identify and Pursue Healthy Relationships

Reflect on your current friendships and family relationships. 

Identify individuals who encourage you to become a healthier person (mentally and physically) and seek to reinforce those friendships. Set healthy boundaries with friends and family that detract from your overall health. 

3. Make Quality Sleep a Primary Goal

Sleep is a significant determinant of mood, health, stress, and ability to function well daily. 

Stick to a schedule that allows for quality sleep and optimal duration. Consider adding calming activities before bedtime and reducing caffeine intake. 

4. Try a Relaxing Hobby or Activity

To improve stress management, consider a relaxing hobby, such as reading, walking outside, listening to music, gardening, or creating art. 

These activities require minimal finances and don’t require planning. Add them in at whatever frequency makes sense to you. 

5. Consider Volunteering or Serving

Serving or volunteering can connect you to others in your community, provide purpose, and help improve your mental health.⁸

You can look in your local community at libraries, museums, hospitals, animal shelters, churches, and community centers for volunteer opportunities that interest you. Try an opportunity several times before deciding against it.

6. Experiment with Physical Activity

If you are new to physical activity, start with beginner-friendly movement like walking, swimming, or biking. 

For regular exercisers, trying something new can be fun, use different muscles, and add variety to your exercise routine. Consider group workout classes, pilates, or yoga. 

7. Consider a Signos CGM

A continuous glucose monitor can provide real-time blood sugar levels in response to foods, beverages, exercise, and stress. You can make personalized adjustments to fine-tune your health and take a different approach to self-care. 

Self-care is about taking responsibility for your current health and preventing future health problems through various choices. Making lifestyle changes that promote health, prevent disease, and help you cope with illnesses are all types of self-care. 

Prioritize self-care routines in 2025 for optimal health and better care for those around you. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why Is Self-Care Important?

The benefits of self-care can be hard to quantify. However, taking time to improve one's physical, mental, and relational health can prevent many health problems and their consequences.

2. How Can I Practice Self-Care?

Self-care will look different for each person. Some ways to practice self-care include getting enough daily exercise, monitoring your blood pressure or blood glucose levels, eating a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, getting quality sleep, setting healthy boundaries and relationships, and managing stress well.

3. How Do I Know What Type of Self-Care I Need?

Reflect on the following questions to help guide your actions. What you need will depend on your different seasons of life and health. 

What activities bring me joy? Am I coping well? What are my current stressors? What does my body need today (rest, movement, companionship, reflection)? 

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Learn More: </strong><a href=boosting-confidence>15 Self-Affirming Things to Boost Your Confidence</a>.</div>