Self Care

I recently saw a quote that defined self-care as the following:

"Self-care includes any intentional actions you take to care for your physical, mental, and emotional health."  Then this was added: "I would also add spiritual health." 

How important is self-care and yet, because we have been taught that too much attention to ourselves is selfish (therefore, bad) we cannot be perceived giving or taking that much time for ourselves. 
I am a huge supporter of balance and would never suggest you indulge all the time. But that does not give you the right to be so drained all the time that you are of no use or worth to anyone, ever. Do you see the difference? 
I remember watching the difference between the moms of my friends. The ones who took time for themselves regularly and had a balanced and happy life because of it and those who just ran on fumes and never did anything for themselves and blew up at everyone, all the time. 

Which person do you want to be? (That should be a no-brainer. ;)

Physical self-care ideas: 
basic grooming. Maybe you have put some of these off for too long because there is "no time"
eating right. Take a few minutes to make sure you are eating enough fruits and vegetables.
sleep. I cannot talk enough about how getting enough sleep is key to almost EVERYTHING else. Get your 7-9 hours regularly and take care of you!
exercise. be active and take note of what you are doing. I recently talked to a friend who walks on the treadmill while she reads her scriptures. I love hearing how other people get stuff done and do it while taking care of them. 

Mental self-care ideas: 
meditate. I recently posted on this briefly. Meditating a few minutes everyday has done amazing things for me. Again, it is the small, everyday things that add up to huge rewards. 
hobbies. I have my fingers in so many fun things at times. Other times it is just nice to focus on one specific thing. Find something you enjoy and get better at it. Hobbies and interests can vary. Find something that makes you smile. 

Emotional self-care ideas: 
journal. Blogging or journaling can be so therapeutic. If you are faster at typing, do it on the computer. If writing with a pen is your speed, do it that way. 
counseling. Whether it is professional or just a good listening ear, find someone that you can talk to. Humans need those connections. 

Spiritual self-care ideas:
pray, read scriptures, be out in nature, listen, attend church. There are so many ways to connect with God. Make sure you spend time on this daily. 
gratitude. practicing gratitude on a daily basis will help you be more happy and content with the things you cannot change right now. 

Choose something from each category and work it into your life style today. It is not the big changes, but the small, persistent, everyday changes that make a huge impact on our lives.