Holistic self-care: The 1st step to bliss

If there is one thing that we all strive for in our lives, it’s to be the best version of ourselves. Not only for ourselves but for our friends and family as well.

But as you know, life has a way of throwing curveballs at you that test you in ways you never knew were possible.

For many of us, we bury our problems pretending they don’t affect us. Or worse, we fail to deal with our trauma in healthy ways and we may lash out at those closest to us.

I used to be in the first category and acted like my issues weren’t serious and later found out how serious they were.

In 2013 I developed severe anxiety and agoraphobia which lasted for a few years. But during my journey of getting back to a normal life, I realized how important being in alignment was and why holistic self-care was so important.

 

Like many people who first hear about holistic living, I thought it was only about eating organic food and doing yoga.

And while these things can be a part of your routine it isn’t a necessary part of holistic self-care.  That’s because there are many ways to live holistically.

The key is finding what puts you in your perfect alignment and allows you to tackle any issue that may come your way.

The basics that you should focus on are in these 5 core categories.

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Now while these are simple things to rank, they aren’t always easy to focus on. But if you want to take holistic self-care seriously, then you will find the time to make sure you are at your peak in each category. 

Let’s take a quick look at some of the things you can work on in each category to get you on your way to your holistic goals!

Physical

Of course, one of the biggest focal points in the physical aspect is what you put into your body. Food fuels your body like gas fuels your car. You wouldn’t put regular gas in a luxury car so make sure that you prioritize putting premium food into your body.

This doesn’t mean spending $300 a week eating “healthy”. But you can look to incorporate more home-cooked meals, cut back on soda, and caffeine as well as drink more water.

Be a little more active. Go for a walk or do a quick exercise routine to keep you mobile. Soon you will feel a lot more energetic and ready to tackle many of the day’s issues.

Mental

Your mind is a muscle and like all muscles, you need to keep it active and engaged or else it will atrophy. Never stop learning or being curious about the things around you and how they work.

Look for hobbies that allow you to get creative or come up with alternative ways to solve an issue.

You can even pick up a new skill that helps you relax while still producing challenges for your brain. 

An active brain is a healthy brain and as long as you remain curious and engaged there’s no way boredom can find itself manifesting in your world. 

Emotional

This can be one of the tougher challenges of holistic self-care.

Many of us have fallen victim to letting our emotions dictate our actions. And many times, that can leave us reflecting on how we may have handled certain situations better.

The best way to deal with emotions is by addressing them before they present themselves. One way to do this is by practicing gratitude regularly. 

Gratitude is an excellent deterrent to extreme emotions like anger or envy and can even boost positive emotions like joy.

Another way to deal with emotions is to lose the desire to find outside approval.  

The over-emphasis on other people’s opinions has killed many a person’s dream before they even got started. You don’t want to be one of the people who claimed they wish they followed their calling.

You don’t need that unnecessary pressure on your shoulders. Focus on your happiness and watch how your emotions change for the better.

Social

Humans of course are social creatures.  Yes, even the most introverted people out here such as myself still needs to have a social life to feel complete. With a proper social life, a person will eventually feel safe and comfortable over time.

In the era of social media people have come to depend on online interactions to get their dose of human “contact”. And while social media has its benefits it never should be an avenue to rely on in terms of being social.

Nothing beats the good old-fashioned face-to-face contact you have with friends and family.  Hell, a quick convo at your grocery store can suffice.

As long as you come from a place of empathy, understanding, and curiosity about other people you can’t go wrong. 

Spiritual

This may be the most important to me because this component is about getting in tune with the inner you. If you look around, you may begin to notice that a lot of people are always engaged in their version of the so-called matrix.

Whether it’s their phones or their jobs, or some other “obligation” they always seem to be distracting themselves with something they may otherwise tell you they don’t really enjoy doing.

When you align with the spiritual aspect of holistic self-care you will be able to improve your life experience immensely. You can do this by

• Mindfulness Meditation and Gratitude- a quick 5-15 minutes to refocus and relax. Also taking the time to enjoy what is going right instead of trying to fix what may be wrong.
• Enjoying outdoors- nature and its healing properties have become underrated as of late. Take time to appreciate the natural world that you surround yourself with.
• Listening- if you sit back and pay attention you will always be able to hear your inner voice speaking. This is your natural self, that will always look to guide you to your essential happiness.

 

Wrap-up

This was a quick intro to the world of holistic self-care and the basics of what you want to look to implement. If there is one thing that can be said about tuning into self-care is that the journey is more than worth it.

No matter where you start, you will always be grateful for the journey in a few weeks, months, or years’ time. And the beauty of it is, there’s no “destination” so to speak.

You don’t need to follow a perfect formula to get where you want to be, and it can take as long or as little as you want it to.

The beauty of holistic self-care is that the only thing that matters is that you’re committed to yourself and making your life experience better.

Once that decision is made you can watch how quickly things change for the better. I will go into a little more depth about each topic later on but for now, you can see this article on living holistically to keep your momentum going on your newfound journey.