We are near the end of August, and it feels like summer has just started here in the Pacific Northwest. Yet, the kids will be heading back to school soon, and summer will be nearing the end. Honestly, I’m not ready for the topic of self-care to be over, so I’m doing something I’ve not done before. I’m going LIVE on Facebook tomorrow, August 19, at 2:30 PDT, and talking about self-care.

I’d love it if you could join me. If you can make it, mark your calendar and head to Vonie Kalich Coaching on Facebook when it’s time.

Okay, now on to today’s topic – Intellectual Self-Care.

Intellectual Self-Care —

Like physical, personal, environmental, emotional, financial, and spiritual, intellectual self-care is essential to our overall health, brain, and mind.

Let me explain the brain/mind part first —

Although the brain and mind are often referred to interchangeably, they are very different from each other. The brain is matter and part of our physical body, while the mind reaches far beyond anything physical. We can’t touch it!

The brain, like a computer, stores information. However, the brain is capable of much more and has far greater intelligence than any computer. And like a computer, the brain needs to be upgraded with new software. The software is intellectual self-care.

What is intellectual self-care, and why is it important?

Intellectual self-care is taking the time to stimulate the brain with new information. When the brain is processing new information and trying new things, it broadens a person’s awareness and enriches their mind. When we open it up to curiosity, we learn new things. We can also unlearn things that don’t serve us well.

When we know more, we can do more.

Scientific American has a great article on how much storage capacity the brain has. A mind-blowing 2.5 petabytes (I didn’t even know the word until I read the article). That’s a million gigabytes. Check it out here.

So, the next time you hear someone call themselves stupid, don’t believe them. However, intellectual intelligence also comes down to how much we want to learn. It’s not that we aren’t capable. When the mind is healthy, the foundation for overall health is stronger.

How to stimulate and build your intellectual self-care — (new software)

1. Reading – Reading is a great way to expand the mind and learn new things. It doesn’t have to be work-related.

2. Puzzles – physically putting a puzzle together stimulates the brain. Puzzles that challenge your thinking and vocabulary will do the same.

3. Museum – There is so much history to learn in a museum.

4. Art – the practice of doing art in any form works wonders for our intellectual self-care and many other aspects of self-care.

5. Podcasts – If you’ve never listened to a Podcast, give it a try. Podcasts are an excellent resource for learning.

6. YouTube – What can’t you learn on YouTube?

7. Hobbies – Learn a new language, play a new sport, etc.

8. School – Go back to school or take a community education course.

9. Films – documentaries are great for learning new things.

10. Events – Attend an event around a subject you want to explore.

11. Teach – Teaching others can broaden your expertise on a subject matter, even if you are thoroughly versed in it.

12. Talking – widen your view and listen to what others have to say. We will often learn something new if we listen more than we talk.

Find new things for your brain to do. Doing so will help you sharpen not only the brain but the mind, and you’ll feel accomplished by growing in more areas of your life.

With love,
Vonie

P.S. — Want to learn more about self-care? Join me for a bi-monthly group coaching call. Your first month is my gift to you, so check it out here.