What is Somatic Self Care?

Recommending self care is something that may have been suggested to you, at some point in time, by a friend, family member, even maybe a doctor or a wellness practitioner. When I enter into a dialogue with someone around their self care there is often this idea that self care is only defined by things like meditation or bubble baths, which may not resonate with you.

So what is self care and what is Somatic Self Care?

First, Self care is defined as: “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health.” Self care is a practice that we can engage in over and over again. Some days may feel easier to incorporate self care than others. We just get to keep on practicing self care throughout our lives. It will never be perfect and it's not meant to be. In regards to the part of “improving one’s own health,” this is going to look and feel different and unique to each individual. We often need to slow down and experiment to discover what will actually feel like self care specifically to you.

This is where Somatic Self Care comes in. We're going to define Somatic Self Care as choosing to engage in an action based on what your body tells you would feel satiating physically, emotionally, or mentally and supports you in feeling re-connected to you and grounded in the present moment. By choosing a self care act that is in alignment with what part of your physical, emotional, or mental body needs attention, you can feel more empowered and nourished by your self care acts.

Let's break down self care into three different realms: Physical, Emotional, and Mental.

You can first check in to assess what part of you feels a little drained and tired. If self care hasn't been a part of your daily routine, all of you may feel a little exhausted. That is alright. As you build up your Somatic Self Care Routine these acts will begin to become preventative and regenerative. Physically, you’re checking in with how your body is doing. Emotionally, you’re checking in with your emotional body and what emotions are maybe needing to be expressed. And mentally, you’re checking in with the state of your mind.

Physical self care can look like nourishing your body with:

• Quality, balanced meals

• Physically moving your body

• Touch

• Pet Cuddling

• Quality Sleep

• Naps

• Physical Intimacy

• Baths

• Nature

Emotional self care can be things that give your emotions space to be heard and expressed. This can be through:

• Journaling

• Calling a friend or family member

• Writing yourself a love note

• Meditation

• Therapy

• Artwork

• Singin​g​

• Laughing

• Deep breathing

• Writ​ing​​ poetry

Mental self care can be things that stimulate your mind or give your mind a break like:

• Reading a book

• Listening to a podcast

• Watching a movie

• Playing a game

• Learning something new

• Allowing yourself just to be and not do anything

• Trying something new

​I would highly recommend sitting down and creating your own physical, emotional, and mental self care lists. ​

Next, there is often this idea that self care is time consuming. When first starting to make Somatic Self Care a part of your day, you can break it down into bite sized pieces so it feels manageable to incorporate into your day. This could look like taking a pause before you eat to explore your physical self care and what meal would support you in feeling connected and grounded. This could be taking time in the morning to journal instead of scrolling social media. This could be allowing yourself space to stay in bed just a little bit longer to cuddle with your pet. Remember, you're first checking in with your body to explore what part of you is needing some extra attention in your day so you can choose the tiny acts that would satiate the part of you needing some extra care.

As these little Somatic Self Care acts start to feel more incorporated into your day, you can start to set aside more time in your day where your actively choosing the things you would like to spend more of your time doing like creating art or gardening or reading a good book or moving your body. Start small and work up from there so that Somatic Self Care becomes a regular part of your day. How you will know you're choosing the things that are in alignment with what you want to nourish is, you can check in with your physical, emotional, or mental well being and observe how these parts of you feel after your self care act and even a few hours later. Your body will guide you through emotions and sensations of feeling calm, at ease, connected, light hearted, spacious, and deep breathing that the self care acts you're engaging in resonate with you.

Take all the time you need on this Somatic Self Care journey and if you're ever looking for more support, email me at support@stephaniemara.com anytime. I'm here for you every step of the way on this path of cultivating a deeper relationship with your food and body.