Self-care does not sound like it should be a difficult concept: taking care of yourself, including your body, mind, and soul. It is often considered to be taking time to relax and recharge. For a lot of people I know, this can include vacations to places with warm climates, sandy beaches and the opportunity to lay around with an adult beverage in hand.

While getting enough rest and relaxation (and fun) is definitely an important part of self-care, it certainly is not the only part. In fact, sometimes self-care may not be fun at all. Taking care of yourself can mean doing things you really don’t want to do, but are essential for your physical, mental, or spiritual health. Things like going to the dentist or getting a physical are probably not at the top of the list of things people enjoy, but they are necessary.

Sometimes we are so busy in our lives that we let things slide, like our eating habits, working out, getting a haircut, or cleaning our the garage (or whatever other part of your home requires cleaning). Those of us who have a spiritual practise may get behind in our meditations, prayers, or suddenly realize we haven’t been to church, or whatever house of worship applies, in a long while.

Finding the time to do things we enjoy is still a central part of self-care. Going on vacation or partaking in hobbies can really help reduce stress and increase our energy. But don’t forget the “care” in “self-care.” Making the effort to do the less fun parts of self-care can increase our opportunities to stay healthy and enjoy our lives.