The concept of self-care has grown in popularity given that most of us live in a driven, results-oriented society. We can all agree that self-care is very important for our well being. Without it, we can still achieve our goals, but it may come at a cost to other areas of our lives. Using the self-care wheel can help you bring ultimate balance in your life. In this post I’m going to share the 6 categories along with examples from each.
When we think of what self-care entails, things such as getting massages or going on a walk may come to mind. Those are some great examples but what if I told you they both belong to only one of six categories of the self-care wheel. You may be wondering, what the heck is a self-care wheel? The self-care wheel is a tool created by Olga Phoenix, MPA, MA. “It was inspired by and adapted from ‘Self-Care Assessment Worksheet’ from Transforming the Pain: A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization by Karen Saakvitne and Laurie Pearlman” according to the Olga Phoenix Project.
It comprises the following 6 aspects of self-care:
- Emotional
- Psychological
- Physical
- Professional
- Spiritual
- Personal
In this post I’m going to list the 6 categories that make up the self-care wheel. I’ll also explain the importance of each category and will give you examples that you can use so that you can give yourself the love and care you deserve.
1. Emotional
Emotional self-care is the first category that makes up the self-care wheel. Like the name states, this is all things involving your emotions. It is important because the way we feel affects our entire life. When we take time to acknowledge how we are feeling we are bringing awareness to our emotions, which can lead to recognizing ways to honor them.
Some ways to nurture your emotional self-care are:
- Journal out your feelings
- Release emotions by crying, laughing, talking things out to yourself
- Meditating to bring a sense of stillness
- Write a gratitude list until you feel a shift
It is important to remember to do this in a non judgmental way. We are human so we will have a variety of emotions on a daily basis. Try not to judge or blame yourself for feeling a certain way. Recognize the emotion and do what you can to feel it until it is released from your body if that’s your goal.
2. Psychological
The next category is psychological self-care. Our brains fall into this category because it involves all things learning, thinking and evolving.
Some ways to nurture your psychological self-care are:
- Read a personal development book
- Go to therapy
- Listen to podcasts about mental health
- Set boundaries
This category is important because when we take time to nurture our psychological (or mental) self-care, we can lower our stress and anxiety. We also learn new things that allow us to continue to evolve.
3. Physical
Physical self-care involves our bodies and our physical needs. The way we care for our bodies via our nutrition affects the way we feel not just from our energy levels but our appearance too. The amount of rest we get also affects our overall well-being. Our sexual health falls in this category as well as housing.
Some ways to nurture your physical self-care are:
- Eat your favorite meal
- Participate in your favorite workout a.k.a move your body
- Schedule and go to medical check-ups
- SLEEP
As you can see from the examples, this category matters because without it, we would physically feel out of alignment. This category encourages us to care for some of our most basic physical needs that make up the quality of our life.
4. Professional
Professional self-care is anything that involves your work or professional life. Creating a healthy work-life balance is the goal in this category.
Some ways to nurture your professional self-care are:
- Leave work on time (no overtime)
- Do not take your work home with you
- Take your breaks including a full lunch break
- Use your PTO days!
This category is important because it allows us to focus on the way we are treated (and treat ourselves) at work. Self-care in the workplace is vital considering most of us work most of the week.
5. Spiritual
Spiritual self-care involves caring for your spirit and your inner self. Our faith falls under this category as well but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be religious. It focuses on who we are inside and what we believe outside ourselves.
Some ways to nurture your spiritual self-care are:
- Meditate or pray
- Go out and connect with nature
- Practice yoga
- Give (your time by volunteering or money to a charity)
- Forgive yourself (use the Ho’oponopono meditation)
Bringing awareness and balance to our soul is important because our soul is the core of who we truly are. We need to make time for our spiritual self-care so that we can not only bring ourselves closer to our higher selves, but it will benefit the collective too.
6. Personal
The final category is personal self-care. This category involves figuring out and working on personal goals. It also involves taking the time to figure out who we actually want to be. We have the deliberate choice to create the life we want.
Some ways to nurture your personal self-care are:
- Make short and long term goals
- Develop a positive mindset
- Learn how to play an instrument
- Take up a new hobby
- Create a vision board
This category can be easy to overlook since we tend to get in our routines living a mundane life. Time never stops so it is up to us to tend to our personal self-care so we can continue growing and evolving into the person we dream of becoming.
Final thoughts
Now that you have learned about the self-care wheel, it is up to you to take action. Use the 6 categories: emotional, psychological, physical, professional, spiritual and personal next time you’re thinking of self-care ideas for yourself. Try to make it a goal to alternate between each category so that you can achieve a balanced life. Lastly, always remember to be gentle with yourself.
Let’s work together!
- If you’re really ready to create the life you want
- If you want to increase your happiness and feel more confident in who you are
- If you want to trust yourself more and live on purpose
I can help you! Schedule your clarity call to work with me HERE.
Additional Resources
- The Olga Phoenix Project
- Ho’oponopono meditation
- Developing a Positive Mindset post
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