Self Care
WHAT IS SELF-CARE?
Self-care is exactly what it sounds like—taking care of ourselves. This may look different for everyone, but we know that it’s hugely important for our quality of life. Self-care is about nourishing our relationship with ourselves.
Self-care is an ongoing process. What we do to take care of ourselves may change depending on what we’re going through. Even if we’re feeling great about life, we still need to make time for self-care; we need to keep the tank full, not wait until it gets empty!
Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive or extreme; often it’s the really simple things. Check out some examples of what people do for self-care below:
Sometimes self-care is about pampering ourselves, but other times it’s about making hard decisions that we know will benefit us in the long run. Self-care is also about how we organise our life in a way that will make things more manageable and less overwhelming—things like going to the doctor and getting enough sleep. Check out this Instagram account for illustrated examples of “Boring Self-Care.”
HAUORA
Hauora is a Māori philosophy of health and wellbeing that encompasses taha tinana (physical wellbeing), taha hinengaro (mental and emotional wellbeing), taha whānau (social wellbeing) and taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing).
Dr Mason Durie developed the Te Whare Tapa Wha model as a way of encapsulating these four dimensions of wellbeing. All four dimensions are necessary for balance, strength and stability, much like the four walls of a whare:
FONOFALE
The Fonofale model was created by Fuimaono Karl Pulotu-Endemann as a Pacific Island model of health for use in a New Zealand context. It uses the metaphor of a fale to represent the different aspects of wellbeing and identity.
HEALING FROM SEXUAL VIOLENCE
It’s normal for people who have been affected by sexual violence to find their experience incredibly difficult to deal with. Recovering from sexual violence can happen in different ways and at different speeds, but we know that people can go on to lead healthy, happy lives with rewarding and intimate relationships.
A lot of survivors say that talking is what helped them the most. Talking to someone we trust about our experience, our feelings and our questions can help us to feel less alone and more in control. Counsellors and therapists can be fantastic to talk to, as they have been specifically trained to help people who have experienced any form of sexual violence. Head to the “Get Help” section of our website to find out more about counselling options and service providers.
For more information about self-care and healing from sexual violence, check out this page on the HELP website.
SELF-CARE ASSESSMENT
Self-care is not a test or an assignment, however it can be useful to reflect on which areas we are prioritising and where we need to give a bit more time and attention. Check out this assessment to get an idea of how balanced your self-care efforts are.
FREE THINGS TO DO
Sometimes self-care can seem expensive, especially when we equate it with lavish spending or long vacations. Sometimes self-care does take time and money, such as visiting the doctor or buying healthy food. However, there are ways to incorporate small, inexpensive moments of self-care into our daily lives. Here is a list of 20 things that you can try without breaking the bank!
- Spend time in nature
- Volunteer
- Go for a walk
- Clean your home/work environment
- Have a tech break – switch of your phone and get away from your computer screen
- Write in a journal
- Draw or paint
- Listen to music
- Make a budget
- Get some fresh air
- Spend time with friends and whānau
- Drink some water
- Have a good stretch
- Focus on your breath
- Take some “me” time to be by yourself
- Read a book
- Explore somewhere new
- Meditate
- Have a goofy dance by yourself
- Talk to a friend
