One of the primary reasons people ignore self-care is they don’t have time. 

The good news is there is no shortage of self-care practices that you can look into and most of them are straightforward and won’t require much planning.

The main idea is to find an activity that will fit with your value and will bring you genuine joy. 

Once you start incorporating self-care into your life, you will be able to better manage your time accordingly and be able to work on other aspects of your life like your manifestation.

Below are five self-care categories along with some great examples you can look into:

Sensory

In essence, sensory self-care is about calming your mind.

When you are able to tune into the sensations all around you, it becomes easier for you to live in the present moment and manifest things in your life.

When you are in the present, you can also easily release all resentments related to the past or the future.

Practicing sensory self-care requires involving all of your senses—touch, sound, smell, and sight.

The following are some examples of sensory self-care you can look into:

• Visiting countryside and focusing on the smell of the air
• Cuddling up under your favorite blanket
• Feeling the water on your skin while showering or during a hot bath
• Listening to music with your eyes closed
• Focusing on your breathing
• Walking barefoot in the grass
• Holding your favorite pet in your arms

Emotional

When it comes to emotional health, it would be ideal to fully engage with your emotions.

Facing your emotions head on has been known to help with stress.

Most people don’t deal with their negative emotions like anger or sadness.

Ideally however, it is best that you feel and accept them before you move on.

It is also important to keep in mind that emotions are not really “bad” or “good” in themselves.

You should not be blamed for the emotions you feel.

Below are some of the activities you can look into if you want to practice better emotional self-care:

• Keep a daily journal and be completely honest about how you feel
• List down a list of “feeling words” to help expand your emotional vocabulary
• Take time to be with a family or a loved one who truly understands you
• Allow yourself to laugh 
• Sing along to your favorite songs

Spiritual

Spiritual self-care is all about getting in touch with one’s values and the things that matter to you.

Self-care for tips for depression often stress the importance of developing a sense of recovery.

Below are some spiritual self-care activities you can try:

• Meditating daily or keeping a mindfulness practice
• Writing in your gratitude journal daily
• Reading poetry
• Walking in nature and reflecting on the beauty around you
• Expressing your creativity through music, art, or writing
• Making a list of things that make you feel alive and figuring out how you can incorporate them into your life
• Reading inspirational books
• Saying affirmations that ground your sense of purpose

Physical

Engaging in physical activities is not only vital for your overall well-being, it will also allow you to let off steam.

The following physical activities are worth looking into:

• Dancing to your favorite songs
• Doing yoga
• Joining a class and learning a new sport
• Playing with your dog
• Cycling through the countryside
• Going out for a walk

Also, keep in mind that physical self-care is just about the things you do as much as the things you don’t do. For instance:

• Napping when you need to. Even just 20 minutes of power nap can already make you feel physically and mentally refreshed
• Saying no to invitations and activities if you can’t find time for them
• Not forcing yourself to exercise when you are feeling unwell
• Committing to getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night

Social

Social self-care is another key category you should never ignore.

Social self-care can differ depending if you are an introvert or an extrovert.

It pays to remember that social self-care is not about doing things with others for the sake of it.

However, it is all about choosing to do things with people who make you feel great.

Some great social self-care ideas you can explore include:

• Having dinner or lunch with a great friend
• Writing an email to a friend you miss who lives far away
• Reaching out to someone you have not seen in a while
• Joining a group of people who share your interests
• Signing up for a class to learn something new

Over to You

If you want to work on your manifestations, practicing self-care is one of the things you should prioritise. There’s no shortage of activities you can look into. As long as you do something that’s enjoyable and makes you truly happy, you are on track.