The Essential Self - What is it?
The Essential Self is our essential meaning-making processes in relation to life, self, and others.
Key concepts include spirituality, gender identity, culture identity, and self-care.
Spirituality - Personal beliefs and behaviors that are practiced as part of the recognition that we are more than the material aspects of mind and body. Dimensions include belief in a higher power; hope and optimism, worship, prayer, and/or meditation; purpose in life, love (compassion for others); moral values; and transcendence, or a sense of oneness with the universe.
Gender Identity - Satisfaction with one's gender; feeling supported in one's gender.
Cultural Identity - Satisfaction with one's cultural identity; feeling supported in one's cultural identity; transcendence of one's cultural identity (i.e., cultural assimilation).
Self-Care - Taking responsibility for one's wellness through self-care and safety habits that are preventive in nature; such habits include obtaining timely medical care, wearing a seat belt; limiting the use of prescribed drugs and avoiding the use of illegal drugs; avoiding the use of tobacco; abstaining from or very moderately using alcohol; getting adequate sleep; minimizing the harmful effects of pollution in your environment.
