Question 1

What are the 7 pillars of self-care?

Accepted Answer

According to the International Self-Care Foundation (12), the seven pillars of self-care are:

Knowledge and health literacy

Knowledge and health literacy involves understanding health, disease, and self-care. Health literacy is a crucial component as it empowers you to access, understand, and use basic health information properly. People with good health literacy skills make healthier choices, which results in better overall health.

Health literacy also helps you recognize and avoid potentially misleading or harmful information. The World Health Organization states that individuals with good health literacy should be able to understand their health, seek relevant information, make positive health decisions, and know when to seek professional advice.

Mental well-being

Mental well-being encompasses life satisfaction, optimism, self-esteem, feeling in control, having a purpose, and a sense of belonging. According to the World Health Organization, mental health is a state where individuals realize their potential, cope with life’s stresses, work productively, and contribute to their community (1).

Self-awareness refers to applying your health knowledge to your personal situation, helping you understand your mental and physical health. Agency is the ability to take action based on this awareness. Both are essential as they form the foundation for self-care, allowing you to identify strengths and areas needing improvement, ultimately leading to better health outcomes.

A lack of self-awareness can result in poor health decisions and gradual declines in health, which contribute to non-communicable diseases. The WHO emphasizes the importance of self-awareness as part of health literacy, encouraging actions to improve health.

To maintain good mental well-being, it’s important to regularly measure and monitor health metrics, understand personal and family medical histories, and be aware of lifestyle factors that impact your health. This includes knowing your physical activity levels, diet, stress, and how to use self-care products effectively.

Physical activity

Pillar 3 emphasizes the importance of physical activity and regular exercise for maintaining good health. Physical activity, which can include any movement, such as structured exercise as well as daily incidental activity, supports optimal health and well-being while lowering the risk of disease. Regular exercise can also help with weight management, stress reduction, better sleep, and improved mental health.

The World Health Organization recommends different levels and types of physical activity based on age groups. For example, children and adolescents should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily, while adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Older adults are encouraged to include activities that focus on improving balance and muscle-strengthening activities to help with fall prevention.

Healthy eating

A healthy diet is a significant influencing factor for both your short- and long-term health. Maintaining a healthy eating pattern influences both your physical and mental health and can help reduce the risk of poor health outcomes.

On the other hand, poor diets, which can be characterized by the consumption of nutrient-poor, calorie-dense ultra-processed foods, can lead to overweight and obesity, in addition to increasing the risk of developing chronic disease.

A balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats supports optimal health. Eating habits and food intake also play a significant role in gut health and digestion, which has a strong link to aspects relating to emotional health, such as your mood.

The World Health Organization’s guidelines for healthy eating recommend maintaining a healthy weight, increasing your intake of plant-based foods, and reducing your consumption of ultra-processed, nutrient-poor foods, which are often rich in unhealthy fat, sugars, and sodium.

Risk avoidance and mitigation

Risk avoidance and mitigation encompasses the act of reducing or avoiding behaviors that increase the risk of disease or death. Key actions can include getting vaccinated, quitting smoking, limiting or avoiding alcohol, protecting yourself from the sun, and driving safely. Avoiding high-risk behaviors is essential as it significantly reduces preventable illnesses, injuries, and the risk of death.

Personal hygiene

Personal hygiene practices, such as handwashing, are a simple yet effective action to help minimize the spread of germs. Not only do habits like these help protect your own health, they also help those around you. Another aspect of maintaining good personal hygiene such as keeping a neat presentation through regular grooming, bathing, brushing teeth, and caring for hair and nails, is the increase in self-confidence.

When you care for your body, you feel better about yourself, which can positively impact your mental and emotional well-being. This sense of confidence and self-respect can then radiate outwards, affecting how you interact with others and even how you approach your daily life.

Therefore, embracing good hygiene is a powerful form of self-care that contributes to your overall health and toward a strong sense of self-assurance and well-being.

Responsible use of products and services

Responsible use of self-care products and services emphasizes the safe and effective management of health using various tools such as:

Prescription medicines
Non-prescription medicines
Preventive health products
Natural supplements
Wellness services

It’s important to use these products and services appropriately, focusing on quality and safety. Proper use can help maintain health, prevent illnesses, and empower individuals to manage their conditions. However, using products carelessly or overusing medicines can lead to health risks. It’s recommended to always seek appropriate guidance from a healthcare professional and follow their advice.

Question 2

What are the 8 areas of self-care?

Accepted Answer

The 8 areas of self-care can be interlinked to the eight different areas of wellness. Wellness is a broad and multifaceted concept that has many components. These include physical health, emotional health, and occupational, intellectual, financial, environmental, social, and spiritual dimensions (13). While some areas may not seem as important, each dimension ultimately has the ability to influence another.

For example, when you worry about your finances, this can cause stress and anxiety, which places strain on your emotions. This emotional stress can lead to physical health issues and create significant challenges in your work life. From there, it could progress to starting to question your sense of meaning and purpose. This example highlights the profound impact of financial stress on your overall well-being and how each component is linked. This is why holistic health and wellness is an important consideration. You can read more here about forms of self-care.

Question 3

What are the 4 basics of self-care?

Accepted Answer

The four basics of self-care are (14) :

Physical (body) self-care: to move, live, and breathe well.
Emotional (heart) self-care: to take care and love yourself and others.
Psychological (brain) self-care: thinking, learning, growing.
Spiritual (your spirit) self-care: to identify and live with meaning, mindfulness, and gratitude.

Question 4

What is 10-10-10 self-care?

Accepted Answer

The 10-10-10 rule is an approach that encourages reflection and consideration of the impact of decisions and actions over the next 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years. By following these methods, you can simplify your approach to self-care and determine what’s important to your long-term health and well-being (15). Consider making your own Self-Care Checklist or read more about it here.

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