Radical self-care is a concept that promotes the idea that first our body and mind wellness should be aligned and then we can align ourselves towards the betterment of others. Selfcare is not self-indulgence, rather preparing oneself to be best in all spheres of life – be it professional, be it social, be it personal. 

It is a concept primarily promoted by expert psychologists Myers and Sweeny. In 2004 they created a wellness model – The indivisible self – An evidence-based model of wellness, which has a mention in the Journal of Individual Psychology, 60(3), 234-245. According to this model, we have to protect the 5 different segments of our self which are – Physical self, Social self, Coping self, Creative self, and Essential self. If we can nourish and care for different spectrums of ourselves, we would be able to maintain a solid and balanced “whole” self.

Situations are not in your control but your reactions can be balanced 

Life’s happenings and people’s behaviors are unpredictable but our responses to all that is taking place around us should be full of poise and balance because we are how we project ourselves in face of different situations in life. If our physical self, social self, coping self, creative self, and essential self are nurtured, it would automatically happen. Our reactions would be balanced if we as individuals are balanced.

Keep the inner spark of yourself alive

Manage life’s stresses in such a way that they don’t bog you down, rather you chuck them off whenever they try to overwhelm you. Your self-worth should be far more powerful than the opinions of others about it. This self-worth and belief in yourself would keep the spark alive so that you can light up the life of yours as well as others’ around you. Do meditation, exercise, go for long walks, read books, pray, listen to music, dance, paint, indulge in gardening, have a massage, spend time with people who make you happy; basically, do anything that helps you keep fulfilled and adds the halo effect to your personality.

Sensible world within you would facilitate a sensible world around you

Radical self-care is based on the notion that we cannot neglect any component of our self otherwise we are compromising on the well-being of our whole self. If any aspect of yours is undernourished, the world within you is not complete, there is a sense of something that is not attuned. Such a personality would not be able to promote a sensible world around and cannot be part of the radical self-are of oneself and others. Radical self-care is a necessity. Do not neglect it.