While you may have heard of the term “self-care,” you might not know that there are actually eight different types of self-care! Consider this your ultimate guide. 

types of self-care

Self-care isn’t just spoiling yourself or indulging in “me time!” While those things can very well be a part of your self-care, there are so many other types of self-care that can really increase your quality of life.

As a recent college graduate entering the work world, I know how overwhelming and confusing life can get. Although there are many many things that you cannot predict or control (like a global pandemic), you can’t let those things get in the way of your happiness.

That’s why it’s absolutely essential to implement some kind of self-care into your daily routine.

So, without further ado, here are the eight types of self-care that you need to know right now.

The Essential Types of Self-Care:

1. Physical

Physical self-care is perhaps the easiest to start with, as it includes any physical action that you take to care for yourself. (Think brushing your teeth, working out, taking a bath.)

I know what you’re thinking: “Gab, isn’t that pretty obvious?” Well, the thing is, it’s not. Especially when we become busy or stressed out, it’s really easy to let these mundane tasks fall to the wayside.

I mean how many times have you put your greasy hair up because you didn’t have time to take a shower? Or how many times have you told yourself that you are going to start meal prepping and eating better, only to grab a snack bar filled with sugar (no judgment) on the way out the door?

By placing importance on things outside yourself, it’s only a matter of time until you realize you are overworked, exhausted and unhappy.

Here are some tips and tricks that I use to keep me on track and stay accountable:
  • Habit Stacking: I recently read Atomic Habits by James Clear and he goes into this concept in great detail, so I HIGHLY recommend reading his book for more information. But, for a quick overview, habit stacking is giving yourself an order for completing tasks. In my own day-to-day, I know that as soon as I get dressed, I can get a coffee. So instead of complaining about leaving my warm, peaceful bed, I get excited knowing that I’ll be drinking a cold cup of iced coffee in a matter of minutes.
  • Accountability Apps: I don’t know if it’s just me, but there’s something about checking things off a list that is just beyond satisfying. There are so many different apps that help you implement new habits, but I personally recommend HabitShare – Habit Tracker. What I like about it is that you can keep your goals to yourself or you can add friends to the app to help you stay motivated. It features reminders, streaks, charts and other fun things to make sure you don’t blow yourself off.
  • Buy things: Spending money is great. I love spending money. BUT, I hate spending money on things that I don’t end up using! So, a little method I use is buying myself things as a bribe to continue. For instance, if I know that I want to start going to yoga on Sundays, I’ll reserve a class for myself at my favorite studio on Sundays. Or if I want to start taking baths, I buy cute bath bombs that I can only use if I take a bath. Speaking of bath bombs, if you’re an addict like I am, you have to try the ones I linked in this paragraph!

2. Emotional

Emotional self-care is super important for your mental health. It includes any activity that gives you an emotional outlet or helps you process what you’re feeling.

Personally, I HATE talking about my feelings. It’s gross. It’s cringe. Big no. While therapy is an amazing tool that has helped so many people, it’s something that I’ve just had a hard time resonating with.

I much prefer to sit with my emotions and figure them out alone. Talking about it, for me, makes me feel like I’m in an interview.

Instead, I like to listen to music, journal and read self-help books. I like these methods of self-care better because I am not put on the spot; I’m identifying patterns in other people and relating them to my own situation. This also helps me feel less alone when I’m struggling.

Here are some journals and self-help books I’ve been loving, in case you’re curious:
  • Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: This book is a best seller for a reason. In my own life, I know it has helped me tremendously with staying in the moment and maintaining control over my emotions.
  • Power of the Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy: Besides having a beautiful cover that goes quite nicely with my room decor, this book goes into depth about the subconscious and how you can use it to your benefit.
  • Kate Spade Notebook: I like spending a little bit more money for a nice hardback journal because I use it every day and it’s so cute! Every night before I go to bed, I make a gratitude list and write it in my journal. I think of all the good things that happened that day, whether I won a large sum of money or had five minutes to talk to a friend. There’s literally nothing worse than lying awake for hours and going through every bad decision you made. By going back and focusing on even the smallest wins, I’ve realized that I’ve become a much happier person.

3. Social

Social self-care involves our relationships with other people.

Even if you are more on the introverted side, everyone needs some level of human interaction. With more and more people working from home, time for socializing is no longer built into the workday, leaving many lonelier than ever.

Personally, I am extremely extroverted and need to talk to people every single day. But when I get used to being by myself for an extended period of time, I have a harder time engaging in social activities. It’s the most bizarre thing!

I’m not saying you need to pack your social calendar full of events. That can get absolutely draining. Instead, I suggest that you make it a point to regularly contact your friends and loved ones.

One of my friends runs in a different circle than one of her best friends, yet they go to dinner at least once a month to catch up. I am overly close with my parents and try to call them at least once a day.

Something that I’ve recently started doing is taking a mental inventory of my friends and when I last spoke to or hung out with them. If it has been a bit, then I know I probably should reach out.

Going off that, never get offended when you realize you haven’t talked to a friend in a while. Everyone has busy lives and unless otherwise stated, it’s nothing personal!

4. Spiritual

Spiritual self-care practices aim at connecting with something greater than oneself. This can be in relation to religion, but it doesn’t have to be!

Some forms of these practices would be praying, meditation, surrounding yourself in nature or visiting sacred spaces.

I am a huge overthinker, so sometimes meditating or praying is hard because I get sidetracked and forget what I’m doing. Recently, I’ve gotten on the hot yoga wave and have loved it.

Yoga requires a lot of concentration and physical strength, so whenever I go to class, I feel like I have to pay attention and focus on getting myself in the right positions.

5. Personal

Personal self-care is all about YOU and what YOU love to do. It’s reconnecting with yourself through old hobbies. It’s taking on new experiences you might have been scared to try in the past.

Something that I love, that literally no one else in my life likes to do, is go to museums. I sound so “pick-me,” but I could spend (and have spent) hours looking at art and reading the little plaques next to the pieces. Although it’s an activity that I do alone, it’s something that I truly enjoy and carve out time for.

Sunday resets have also become routine! Every Sunday, I have a special regimen where I give myself a facial, coat my hair in a hair mask, wax my eyebrows, etc. It helps me look and feel my best before starting a new week!

Here are a few products that I incorporate into my “Sunday reset”:
  • Drunk Elephant T.L.C Sukari Babyfacial: I have super sensitive skin, so finding a face mask that doesn’t cause extreme redness is rare for me. While it’s a little on the pricier side, the bottle lasts a long time and leaves my skin clear, smooth and glowing.
  • M-61 PowerGlow Peel: This product is LIFE CHANGING. Not only am I obsessed, but I have also gotten my parents hooked! It has glycolic and salicylic acid to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, vitamin k to fix dry patches and antioxidant bilberry extract to promote even skin tone. I’m not going to lie, it does burn for a hot minute. But hey! That’s how you know it’s working, right?

6. Space

This type of self-care definitely wasn’t something that I immediately thought of. Like how does space fit into caring for yourself? But then, when I thought about it some more, it started to make sense!

It has to do with keeping your home, office, car, etc. comfortable, safe and healthy.

I’m not going to lie and say I’m the most organized girl because I’m not. But, I have noticed that when my environment is clean and organized, I do feel a huge weight off my shoulders! While I don’t mind having a pile of clothing on my floor every once in a while, if I constantly can’t find things in my mess, my stress levels skyrocket!

Something that I like doing is dedicating one day a week to cleaning my entire apartment. It just helps me stay accountable, clean and happy. If I don’t set deadlines for myself, I know it’ll never get done.

Here are some products that I use to clean and organize my spaces:
  • K Knodel Car Trash Can: I don’t know about you, but I practically live in my car. I am always on the go (and hungry), so trash builds up quickly. To help with this, I bought this handy little trash can that has a lid and everything, so things aren’t spilling out. It’s so convenient and makes my space feel less cluttered.
  • Mr. Clean Magic Eraser: I feel like I always have makeup left on my hands after I get ready in the morning and then when I open the door, I get makeup all over it. These erasers are super easy to use and keep all my white surfaces white.

7. Financial

Time to talk about money! Financial self-care is all about sticking to your financial goals. This means saving, budgeting and splurging.

While going over finances is definitely not my idea of fun, especially when I’m looking at bills, it’s another aspect of self-care that I have found to be increasingly important as I’ve gotten older.

Knowing just how much money you are working with a month can save you big time not only from debt, but the stress that comes with debt. I don’t know about you, but getting to the end of the month and realizing you spent way more than you should have sucks and makes me panic.

There are many different ways of going about this but I recommend talking to a financial expert, getting your bank app on your phone to keep track and coming up with a realistic budget.

8. Work

This type of self-care helps you maintain a good relationship with work. It can be setting boundaries, asking for help and even taking small breaks.

I don’t know why, but I have this irrational fear that I’m going to get fired every time I walk into the office. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a great employee. I work hard. I get my tasks done. But, every now and then I can’t help but wonder if I’m not doing something right.

Instead of letting myself worry about something that isn’t actually a problem, I like to check in with the people above me every once in a while. Opening up that line of communication and asking for feedback has been so helpful because it breaks the barrier and shows that you are willing to listen to constructive criticism.

The anxiety about getting randomly fired hasn’t completely gone away, but having a good relationship with my higher-ups has tremendously helped me feel less nervous about the whole thing.

So there you have it! Those are the eight types of self-care and how you can implement them in your own life. If you end up trying any of these activities, tell me about it in the comments!