The Oxford Living Dictionary defines self-care as “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health, well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.” In other words, there are two central aims of self-care: to limit negative consequences and to maintain wellbeing and overall functioning. In short, self-care is about taking proactive steps to enhance resilience and overall well-being.
Self-care is oftentimes an afterthought. When someone does through burnout or a traumatic experience discussions around self-care emerge. I have experienced this in my own journey of healing. The truth is we are either not taught self-care or our cultural views might not allow us to experience self-care. Good mental health is the result of fitness and training of the mind. So, here is how I have learnt to do self-care on a daily basis
Domains of Self-Care
We experience life in different realms: home, socialization, work life, emotions, intrapersonal and interpersonal domains, intellectual pursuits, etc. therefore, self-care becomes a requirement in a variety of fields, some of which are more basic and essential to our functioning and mental wellbeing.
Physical Domain
At the foundation of self-care is the physical body. Physical self-care involves tending to the needs of the physical body in order to achieve or support optimal functioning and to avoid breakdowns or deterioration within systems.
For the longest time I did not care for my body in the way one should, that is with discipline. We associate discipline with rigidity but the truth is, discipline is the ultimate form of self-care which I have learnt to appreciate now.
While below are a few self-care practices that can support good physical health starting with even one and following through with it will need constant practice.
- Eat a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-dense vegetables, whole grains and fruits, fatfree or low-fat dairy, varied proteins, and healthy oils, while limiting sugar, saturated fats, sodium, and highly processed foods. On the go meals sound great but there was value in sitting down and paying attention to our meals.
As a child I remember my mother reminding me that I must sit down, and connect with my meal. I would ignore her advice because there was always something I was rushing towards. Today I take this practice very seriously and I have come to create a better relationship with food. - Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. To find your ideal sleep schedule, think about what time you go to bed and wake up on the days you feel refreshed and energetic.
This is a tough one for many of us. In the past year I have actively start putting my phone away, focusing on my breath to calm my system, and have experienced the joy of walking up bright. My entire days go well and I am able to think clearly. Hong Kong can have a busy nightlife but I am very mindful of how many evenings in a month will I dedicate to staying up late. As I enjoy the benefits of a good night sleep I don’t feel like stepping out for a late night social interaction. - Get at least 150 minutes of exercise every week i.e. roughly 21.4 minutes per day. Or you could get in 30 minutes of exercise each day for 6 days per week.
I have come to enjoy my workouts. There is a brand of gyms that operates 24 hours a day and that has been a game changer. While I don’t work out at odd hours I do enjoy going for my walks and lifting weights. - Comprehensive physical self-care also involves attending to preventative health interventions such as annual check-ups and screens with a physician, regular dental, eye, and mental health check-up, as well as following recommended or prescribed medication and treatment regimens.
I will be forever grateful to a friend of mine who convinced me to start annual checkups. It is a joy to see the results when you have been looking after oneself. However, if there is anything that needs attention it needs to be taken care of.
Professional Domain
Self-care in one’s professional life can also play a tremendous role in mental wellbeing. The purpose of professional self-care is to manage or prevent work-related stress and stressors, reduce the risk or mitigate the effects of burnout and other workplace hazards, and increase work performance and satisfaction.
Some self-care practices or daily habits that can help mitigate occupational stress are:
- Start each day by making a to-do list of tasks, calls to make and e-mails to write. Prioritize the list according to: the tasks you must do, those you would like to do, and those that can wait.
As a child my father taught me the concept of time-management. Understanding what is important and what is urgent and dividing the work load accordingly helps me prioritise what needs to be done. Having a to-do list is very useful for me because it gives my day sme structure and the planning is all taken care of the night before. Having said that, I have heard that some people do not like to-do lists because they could create overwhelm. The idea of this article is not for you to do exactly what I did or do but to create your own systems. In fact there are some great podcasts on building the right systems in your everyday life. - Select a time of the day and spend it resting but not falling asleep. During this time, sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes and relax your muscles. Then, focus on breathing regularly as you continuously repeat one simple word, such as “peace,” “relax,” or “om,” aloud or silently. Continue until your muscles and mind are relaxed.
I still remember my grandmother sitting in her arm-chair with her eyes closed. We would call it her time-out but she took it every afternoon for no more than 20 minutes. I don’t necessarily do the full 20 minutes everyday but I try to get some quiet time with my eyes closed every afternoon. - Make small rules to maintain a boundary between work and life. For instance, no checking emails after reaching home; avoiding any work phone calls at the dinner table.
This is a must. I love my work and it gives me immense joy. But I must say that setting boundaries with work is difficult. If you are someone who works across time zones try and take sections of the days where you will refrain from accessing your emails.
Relational domain
Relationship self-care refers to the efforts we make to maintain and enhance our interpersonal connections to others. These connections typically comprise a network of people— close family members and fast friends—that we interact with regularly, who greatly enrich our day-to-day lives, and to whom we can turn for emotional and practical support even in the most difficult of times.
Here are some tips to enrich these connections and support your mental wellbeing:
- Play board games or have a movie night and create space for downtime with your family or friends.
My children love board games. Zenga, Monopoly, or Uno are a great way to connect with lots of opportunities for banter and light-hearted fun. Children connect with the child we hold within. As parents, yes there is a need to maintain structure and discipline, but it is fun to be silly and I enjoy being silly with my kids. - Plan daily habits (such as cooking, cleaning, household chores) and divide the load between all the members of the family. I have started to observe a strict routine for laundry and cooking otherwise it feels like a never-ending task. I no longer enjoy cooking but it is a skill one must have.
So I prepare meals that I enjoy cooking and make sure that at the start of the week I have completed my meal prep. Growing up in an Indian household, I was taught to have strict discipline when it came to daily household jobs. While I don’t appreciate spending every minute on a chore I enjoy the nervous system regulation that comes with a clean organised home. Your space does impact your mental wellbeing. By putting in systems in place I am not overwhelmed with daily chores.
Emotional Domain
Emotional self-care involves practices that are engaged in to safeguard against or address negative emotional experience as well as those intended to create or enhance positive emotional experience and well-being.
A few self-care practices or daily habits that can support are:
- Spend at least 30 minutes everyday engaging in a hobby that brings you joy.
I cannot stress on this enough. Hobbies are important. They help when boredom kicks in or when one feels lonely. Having a hobby that is challenging yet entertaining will keep one’s mental juices flowing. For example, my son and I love solving jigsaw puzzles or playing tennis while my daughter and I love talking about research, politics, and spirituality. Reading, going for a walk or cooking something are some great ways of creating happy moments. - Before going to sleep, spend 5 minutes reviewing your day and writing down at least 3 things that you were grateful for today.
I sometimes find it difficult to fall asleep no matter how tired I am. The overwhelm of the day can make it difficult to unwind. Journaling has been my go-to activity before I turn in. It puts all my thoughts on paper and creates a distance between me and the thoughts. Try it and let us know how it worked for you. - Label your emotions. Try to be specific, even if the feeling seems irrational or entirely justified. If identifying emotions feels difficult, gather a list of basic emotions and identify one from there.
Shame, anger, guilt, or sadness are just some of the emotions that have gained popularity. However, we go through a variety of emotions and I have been surprised as to how many times I am unable to correctly identify the emotion.
For example, I was feeling frustrated the other day and kept calling it anger. When I finally sat down with my therapist we explored both the emotions. Being able to correctly identify and label your emotions helps create distance and receive what we need from them. - When you have a positive experience, take the time to really appreciate it and how you feel. Take note of what you enjoyed about the experience and reflect upon it later. Getting into the habit of savoring such moments helps you remember them, and recalling positive thoughts can help provide balance when negative thoughts arise.
This is not about gratitude but really understanding what works for you. To be honest, I think we should talk a little less about gratitude because the word has been so overused. We don’t need to feel gratitude all the time and sometimes it is ok to be disappointed or upset despite having it all. The experience of that emotion without the burden to mention gratitude can empower you to identify what it is that you really need. - Practice self-compassion i.e. treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer someone you care about: a partner, a friend, or even a pet.
I started doing this a while back where I would spend a little more on gifts for others but cut corners when I wanted something. This was cultural conditioning because in India we believe that a guest is akin to God. I reframed that by asking myself the intention behind gifting. I started making handmade gifts or buying the right gift instead of an expensive gift. I was going to treat myself like I would treat my friends and take care of me first.
Psychological Domain
Psychological self-care encompasses a broad spectrum of practices concerning the satisfaction of intellectual needs and purposeful and reflective efforts to understand and attend to your overall needs.
Here are some ways to get you started:
- Engage in one daily activity that captivates your mind (such as music, visual arts, fiction, poetry, cinema, thoughtful conversation, political debate, humor, solving puzzles, playing games, daydreaming, following your curiosity).
I love studying or reading research articles. It stimulates my mind and challenges and beliefs. During my healing journey reading philosophy, mythology, and books on psychological concepts helped me think differently. - You can maintain a daily journal where you record significant events, your reactions, and your reflections on these experiences. This will allow you to clarify your thoughts and feelings, providing deeper insights into personal behaviors and emotional patterns.
A celebration journal is what I maintained all along. We forget the progress that we have made and often take up a critical tone in self-talk. A celebration journal allowed me to jot down every win, small or big. The next time when something did not work out for me I went back to the journal to see how far I had come. - Put yourself in a situation that is out of your comfort zone or will challenge your preconceived notions and existing biases. For instance, pick up a book that challenges your way of thinking; introduce yourself to someone who sees things differently than you do; join a club regarding a topic that you want to learn more about.
Start your day with setting an intention before diving into work emails or checking your phone each morning. Envision how you’d like your day to unfold. For example, simple affirmations could be, “Today, I will be kind to myself”, “Today, I will be patient with others”, “Today, I will eat well”, or anything else that feels important.
Spiritual Domain
Spiritual self-care practice creates space to reflect on our own inner needs and our role or place within the world and universe. A key element of spiritual self-care is awareness of what helps us feel connected to the larger world and/or gives meaning to our lives and work.
To practice self-care in the spiritual realm, you can start with the following:
- If you are a religious person, a great way to start is by participating in religious activities, such as attending a faith service, religious readings, singing, or prayer, etc.
- Meditation is a great way to connect with your inner world. Needless to say there is research on the possible benefits of meditation.
I started meditating almost 15 years ago. Something that started as to get my mother to finally stop pushing me to meditate I have been mostly consistent with the practise. I have enjoyed the benefits of meditation and that is why I started the circle for meditation.
‘Circle for meditation’ is the first event under ‘the mind talk’ brand name and since its launch we have conducted over 6 meditation sessions.
Self-care is not a luxury—it is an essential investment in your overall mental wellbeing. Small, consistent habits such as prioritizing sleep, staying active, nurturing relationships, setting healthy boundaries, and taking time to reflect can strengthen resilience and improve emotional health over time. Remember, self-care looks different for everyone, so choose practices that fit your lifestyle and needs. By making self-care a daily priority, you create a strong foundation for better mental wellbeing, healthier relationships, and a more balanced, fulfilling life.
Photo Credits: Wutthinan Yosmadee
Citations
American Brain Foundation. (2025). Managing Negativity.
https://www.americanbrainfoundation.org/managing-negativity/
Balachandran, D. (2025). 13 healthy sleep habits. UT MD Anderson.
https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/healthy-sleep-habits.h00-159778812.html
Banyan Group. (2024). 7 simple mindfulness practices to enhance your daily life.
https://www.groupbanyan.com/stories/simple-daily-mindfulness-practices
Butler, L. D., Mercer, K. A., McClain-Meeder, K., Horne, D. M., & Dudley, M. (2019). Six domains of self-care: Attending to the whole person. Journal of human behavior in the social environment, 29(1), 107-124.
Franciscan Health. (2025). 10 Ways To Manage Work Stress.
https://www.franciscanhealth.org/community/blog/managing-work-related-stress
Thompson, M. (2018). 10 Ways to Improve Your Self-Awareness. Medium.
https://medium.com/the-ascent/10-ways-to-improve-your-self-awareness-77052029fd89
Ruchi Om
About the author
Ruchi Om is the founder of ‘the mind talk’ and a counsellor registered with ACA. She believes that the road to personal growth and development might prove challenging at times but it is worth it. She believes that we all have agency and we must move forward in life with intention and purpose. In addition, she continues to specialise in learning and training in classrooms and trains parents in the art of parenting and conflict management.
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