Today, I’d like to remind you of the importance of self-care. Self-care is not just about pampering yourself. It’s about putting yourself and your priorities first. Self-care is for everybody – and we need to be selfish about it. So much so that we need to schedule “time for self” in our busy schedules. Otherwise our well-intentioned walk, healthy lunch with a loved one, or an evening on the couch with a good book, are just not going to happen or, at least, not any time soon.

Several months ago, my friend Beryl and I started a discussion about self-care. We both agreed that practicing Reiki daily is an important part of our own self-care regimen. But Reiki is just one tool.  In fact, the more I think about self-care, the more I see its four foundations:

Physical | Emotional | Social | Spiritual

In my understanding, physical self-care is based on rest & relaxation, exercise & movement and healthy meals. Emotional self-care includes stress relief & management, support from family & friends and compassion (first for yourself – and then for others).

Social self-care includes knowing your values, setting boundaries & priorities, and asking for help.

Spiritual self-care is time for yourself and for what brings you joy, mindfulness & meditation, and personal practices, such as prayer or journaling.

What is your self-care based on? In which areas are you shining and with what would you need more support? And what self-care practice would you add to your list? Let us know in the comments.

Here’s to better taking care of ourselves!