Heidi's 5-Step Self-Care Guide to Balance Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

Introduction

My favorite quote I’ve ever heard in regards to self-care is,

“True self-care is not about salt baths and chocolate cake. It’s making the choice to live a life that you don’t need to regularly escape from.” Brianna Wiest

I agree wholeheartedly. Chocolates and bath salts, along with facials, pedicures, and other pampering activities can be a great part of our self-care, but they shouldn’t be the core. Here are five self-care activities that, when practiced regularly, can lessen the need for escape from your life.

Heidi's 5 Self-Care Tips

1.) Practice Mindfulness Daily

Spending as little as five minutes a day practicing mindfulness or meditation can strengthen your mind-body connection. Focus on breathing and grounding techniques that slow your brain and force you to pay attention to your body and the world around you.

A few simple ones include:

• Breathing techniques: Exhale for longer than you inhale; square breathing (inhale, hold, exhale, hold all for the same count). 

• Do a body scan: Sit or lie in a relaxed and comfortable position. Imagine a light that starts at the top of your head and slowly moves down your body. Notice where you have discomfort, tightness, or other negative sensations. Try to relax those areas where you feel discomfort.

• Mindful movement: Find videos that guide you through tai chi, qigong, or another form of mindful movement. I absolutely love Begin With Breath Tai Chi.

• Prayer: If you are a person of faith, connect to your higher power through prayer.

2.) Prioritize Restful Sleep

Many amazing things happen when you sleep. The most obvious is that your body recharges for a new day. But sleep also does fantastic things for the brain.

If you have seen the Disney/Pixar movie Inside Out, when the character Riley goes to sleep, some of her memories are shuffled down to “long term." When we sleep, our memories are sorted and sent to storage. During that process, our brains have the time to process them and make sense of what happened during the day.

Not only that, but a fascinating process called synaptic pruning happens while you sleep. Synapses help different parts of the brain communicate. When we sleep, unneeded connections are pruned.

Let’s say, for example, you struggle with emotional eating and are working on separating the “sadness” part of your brain from the “eating” part of your brain. As you build better habits, your brain will slowly mow away this connection while you sleep and create a new connection between “sadness” and journaling, calling a friend, taking a walk, or whatever better habit you’re building.

3.) Spend Time in Nature

When we get outside, it usually involves moving our bodies. This doesn’t need to be a hike or workout. It can be a drive to a park, mountains, or beach with a stroll, soaking in all the beautiful sights and smells available. Even just getting out in the garden is good for you. Not only does the movement help, but being outside gives our body the essential Vitamin D it needs. 

Being in nature is good for our minds. It can calm the nervous system and enhance our mood. Being in nature can reduce stress, improve memory and focus, and even increase empathy!

Lastly, being in nature is great for connecting with God or your higher power. It can inspire a sense of gratitude and quiet reflection that’s hard to find in everyday life. Nature invites you to slow down and feel a deeper spiritual connection.

4.) Move With Joy

Take time to engage in movement you truly enjoy. This is going to be different for everyone and doesn’t necessarily have to be a workout or exercise. What’s important is that you find something that you love.

For some people, a good trail run might be a joyful movement. Others might find yoga or swimming joyful. Maybe joyful movement looks like putting on music and dancing while you make dinner, or going for an after-lunch walk around the block.

When you joyfully move your body, you revitalize your mind and release endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that can relieve pain, ease stress, and promote overall better moods. (Not bad for a little dance in the kitchen!)

5.) Practice Gratitude

Having a daily gratitude practice is one of the best whole-body activities we can participate in. 

• Body - Practicing gratitude can lead to lower blood sugar and less inflammation. It’s been shown to lower your risk of death over the next four years by 9%!

• Mind - Having a gratitude practice rewires your brain to look at the positive. It also helps minimize negative emotions like envy, resentment, and regret.

• Spirit - Practicing gratitude can help you see where your higher power is blessing you. Even if you see a blessing in retrospect, that can help you learn to see blessings in the moment.

There are a few different ways to practice gratitude. One of the most popular ways is to

journal three things a day that you can be grateful for.

To make it a family matter, have everyone in the family say one thing they’re grateful for every evening at dinner. You can also write thank-you notes to others when they do something kind for you.

Summary

When self-care is rooted in longevity instead of pampering, it becomes a way of life, not just an escape. When you take care of yourself with intention, you’re building a life that feels connected, balanced, and joyful. And that is a life worth showing up for.

References

American Psychological Association. (2020, April). Nurtured by nature. Monitor on Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature

Salamon, M. (2024, September 11). Gratitude enhances health, brings happiness — and may even lengthen lives. Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/gratitude-enhances-health-brings-happiness-and-may-even-lengthen-lives-202409113071

Tononi, G., & Cirelli, C. (2013, August). Perchance to prune. Scientific American, 34-39. Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/scientificamerican0813-34.pdf