What is self-care?

Self-care is all about recognising your needs and taking action to look after yourself. Sometimes we spend so much effort on keeping it all together that we neglect our wellbeing.

Self-care is about addressing this imbalance and making sure we are healthy and happy. Focusing on our mental and physical health also prevents stress, exhaustion and the dreaded burnout. 

The seven types of self care

1. Physical

Physical self-care means looking after our bodies. It’s about living a healthy lifestyle that incorporates fitness and exercise. It means eating healthily and getting plenty of good quality sleep. Basically, it’s about opting for the apple instead of the donut and saying ‘no’ to late nights.

2. Mental

Mental self-care is about looking after your mind. It means having a healthy inner dialogue and recognising when you need support. By listening to our thoughts we can make sure our minds are happy and peaceful. It’s about managing our mental health and exercising our brain with new activities. Learning something new is great for our mental health.

3. Emotional

Emotional self-care focuses on our feelings. It’s about checking in with our mood and managing our emotional states. Listening to our emotions is a powerful way to connect with ourselves. It could involve mindfulness, meditation or journaling thoughts. Keeping a gratitude diary is an effective way to build up emotional resilience.

4. Social

Social self-care focuses on nurturing relationships with others. It’s about finding your tribe and having a sense of community. We all felt the damaging impact of isolation during lockdown. We are social beings and whether you are an introvert or extrovert, social connections are essential for self-care. 

5. Spiritual

Spiritual self-care is about finding meaning in something greater than ourselves. Spiritual self-care involves connecting with your intuition, your inner voice, and becoming more self-aware. And it doesn’t matter what your beliefs are. It’s about connecting with your beliefs and living them. 

6. Professional

This type of self-care is related to your work life. It’s about creating a healthy work-life balance. It’s about setting goals, but also setting boundaries. It’s making sure we don’t become all about work and no play. So, create systems to boost productivity and develop methods to manage stress. 

7. Practical

Practical self-care is about getting things done so they don’t build up and cause stress. For example, finances. Devising and sticking to a budget means you don’t overspend. Another example is organisation. Clearing your desk, your inbox or even tidying up files on your laptop can bring a sense of calm into your life. 

Who needs self-care?

In short - we all do! Self-care isn’t just a buzzword to throw around when you feel a bit stressy. It’s about taking consistent practical action to make sure we are as happy and as healthy as we can be.  

What are the benefits of self-care?

There are so many benefits to self-care. Some of the key benefits are:

• Reduces stress
• Helps you look after others
• Gives you alone-time
• Increases productivity
• Boosts creativity
• Calms the mind
• Improves immunity
• Increases self-esteem
• Feel more energised
• Builds up resilience

With all these positives, it’s worth getting behind some self-care trends in 2022. 

Self-care trends in 2022

In 2022, we are increasingly following wellbeing trends to boost our health and happiness. A lot of self-care is focused on stepping away from the hustle culture. We’re more focused on looking inward to notice our emotions and state of mind. We are much more aware of how the external world influences our mental state too. Let’s take a look at some top trends for 2022.

Mindlessness

Mindlessness is appreciating mindless pursuits. More of us realise the damaging nature of constant pressure to over-perform. The endless striving for betterment takes its toll on our mental health. The Dutch trend of mindlessness, or ‘niksen’ is almost the opposite of mindfulness. It’s about daydreaming, staring out the window aimlessly and embracing boredom. When not focused on a particular task, our brains are still processing. We can conjure up original creative ideas and solutions to problems whilst effectively doing nothing.

Digital fitness

Smart watches are now capable of tracking our steps, sleep patterns and calories burned. This means we are more in control of what our body needs. They help motivate us towards our fitness goals. Following the popularity of the Peloton craze, online workouts are still a huge growth area. With apps providing workout and fitness tutorials whenever we want, we no longer have to squeeze in time to hang out at the gym. Try #dancetutorial on TikTok for some inspiration.

Prioritising sleep

We have reached a sleep crisis. Two thirds of adults feel they don’t rest well at night. Sleep solutions is a growing market. Sleep-tracking apps mean more of us are aware how badly we sleep at night. At ripple+ we trust our plant-powered DREAM puff to gently soothe us into restful sleep. Other solutions include comfortable mattresses and opting for silk bedding. We spend a lot of our lives in bed, so we should make the most of it, right? 

Meditative design

Our environment affects our moods. A drab windowless office or a plant-filled oasis of calm. Which would you prefer? Designers are increasingly looking at how we are shaped by our environment. And how tweaking it can improve moods, creativity and productivity. Exposure to green spaces is hugely beneficial to our mental and physical health. 

Loving your microbiomes

An understanding of our skin microbiome has seen a growth in ‘clean’ skin products. Using all-natural ingredients rather than harsh chemicals. Our skin is the largest organ of the body, so treating the skin right has a beneficial knock-on effect to the rest of our body. Similarly, gut health is taking centre stage. More of us are learning that the key to health and wellbeing lies in our digestive system. Prebiotics, probiotics and fermented foods are becoming increasingly popular. 

Social time and building communities

We’re all part of the ripple+ community, and we’ve got you. Connecting with each other we are bringing about a new world - together we’ve made the f**k nicotine dream a reality! And it’s only going to get more and more widespread. Belonging to communities that grow from a shared interest or goal is amazing for our self-care and wellbeing. 

Self-care subscription

If we’ve learnt anything over the last few years, it’s that wellness starts with us. The reliance on a medication prescription has been replaced with a self-care subscription. The booming wellness industry has seen a rise in the self-care subscription box. This means self-care products delivered directly to your door every month. We’ve ordered creativity, skincare and mindfulness products. They remind us to focus on looking after ourselves and prioritising time out.   

Beauty begins within

It’s not all about plastering on the products. To get great skin and luscious locks, beauty starts with looking after yourself from the inside out. Drinking more water works wonders for your body and it’s easy to do. Taking vitamins, eating nutritionally balanced meals and developing luxury skin care routines are habits we are all learning to adopt.

Living the soft-life

Putting the spotlight of self-care on ourselves. Living the soft-life is about identifying our triggers - relationships, jobs, people - and standing up for ourselves. If it causes stress and can be cut out, then it’s gotta go. This is a TikTok wellbeing trend that’s worth investing in. Prioritising ourselves and eliminating stresses from our lives. Hallelujah!

CBD products on the increase

More and more of us are learning about the benefits of CBD. From oil, to gummy drops, to bath bombs, CBD is used as an ingredient in an increasing number of health and beauty products. CBD is a natural substance found in the cannabis plant. CBD delivers all the plant-powered benefits of cannabis, without getting high. Some of the reported benefits include relaxation, stress relief and improved sleep. 

F**k nicotine movement gains momentum

At ripple+ HQ, we have always been at the forefront of the f**k nicotine movement. Quitting vaping is a priority for nearly half of those up to the age of 25. Many young people associate vaping with stress release. With anxiety on the increase, our plant-based vapes promote the nicotine-free lifestyle and the stress-relieving properties of essential oils. With the release of our latest ripple+ POD, plant-powered relaxation is now rechargeable. Yep, we’ve taken it right into the next level in 2022.