When does Self-Care become important to you?
Perhaps you see self-care as a luxury, an item on the to-do list once you have accomplished everything else, or perhaps you don’t feel its requires space in your diary.
Self-Care is often overlooked!
The reality is …how high you prioritise your self care is influenced by your experiences in life.
🙄 Perhaps you were taught that success is gained through working hard, meeting deadlines and competing to show your worth.
🙄 Are you working towards your version of “success” or is it someone else’s?
🙄 Maybe you learnt that your body is an amazing machine which can keep running and running.
🙄 were you taught to give to others, before taking the time on yourself?
🙄 or became used to being spoken to with little respect?
🤷♀️ There are many reasons why we may not place our self-care a priority.
But at what point do we stop and listen to what we truly want? and ask ourselves what do we truly need?
More often than not we don’t! Instead as humans we can be guilty of:
🙈 Pushing our body to its limit; waiting for the emotional or physical response. The sleepless nights, the anxiety, burnout, relationship breakdowns…mental health breakdowns.
🙈 Soothing our discomfort with unhealthy pleasure choices. It is natural that the body will seek pleasure to restore balance when it is in pain or discomfort.
Dopamine, the hormone responsible for pleasure, plays an important role in our physical and emotional health. And while it can be found from behaviours that promote longevity, such as physical activity and getting enough sleep it can also be found from behaviours that are harmful to an individual’s health, from eating too much junk food to drug misuse and addiction.
🙈 Accepting discomfort; whether your underlying belief is that you don't have the control to change your life or you have become so accustomed to discomfort, the body can feel so numb to the experience around you that you are not even aware of your discomfort.
🙈 Becoming stuck; unable to recognise your internal voice of wisdom can create a long and disappointing journey.
Meanwhile …the nervous system is providing an incredible support to the body, seeking out signs for if and when the body is in danger; sharing signs for when it is out of its comfort zone.
Our attention goes where our focus goes. And if that focus is on the end goal, then it can be easy to not see the journey as an important part in the process. Focus is an attractive quality for motivation and achievement, but it can be costly too, when not in balance. Exploring our Self-Care allows us to be more mindful of our physical, emotional and psychological needs; to respond accordingly to reinstate balance.
Take a step and ask yourself…
What would you allow yourself to do, say & believe if you truly believed you are worthy of your life?
How much time would you give to yourself?
What would you stop doing? and what would you start?
How do you take care of yourself?
How would this impact your day, if you took this shift for yourself?
Here are some TOP TIPS to help you along the way:
❤ SCHEDULE SELF CARE IN
just like you would with any other appointment. If you can, colour code it so you can see the balance in the week.
💆♀️ NURTURE YOURSELF
This could be meeting for a walk with a friend or snuggled with your favourite book and a coffee. What you are drawn to may be different from one day to the next.
🥰 MY BODY IS A TEMPLE …
So I am not saying ditch all the treats But do be mindful of what you eat and drink plenty of water. Notice how you feel when you eat certain foods. And do YOU.
Listen to your values but also what your body needs from you.
🚶♀️ GET MOVING
Have a play with what feels good to you. For me, it is dance and yoga. However, my go to release used to be body combat and running. So be mindful of how you feel from one day to the next, season or time in your life, but also what you need 👇
⚖ ALL ABOUT THE BALANCE
Check in with your exercise schedule. If is all high intensity, can you incorporate some yoga flow/ mindful walks/ dance so you balance the energy flow?
🧘♀️ MEDITATE Meditation allows us to calm our nervous system down, catch a breath and find stability. We then go further as we take a journey of self-discovery. There are lots of ways to meditate, so find a style that works for you.
✍ WRITE YOUR THOUGHTS DOWN
Free some space up in your mind to allow your new thoughts to come through. Maybe you notice a pattern of events, or you use your journal to communicate what you struggle to say out loud.
😎SURROUND YOURSELF IN POSITIVITY….hmmm easier said than done right? OK, so I'm not saying ditch your closest family and friends here, but have a plan on how you will manage your energy with the challenging people & situations in your life.
🚵♀️ LOOK AFTER YOUR ENERGY.... We are perfectly imperfect, and that comes with energy imbalances. I am in love with sound healing, crystals and Reiki and regularly will cleanse my energy system to let go of what I no longer need, to realign so that I can be the best version of ME that I can be.
🌈 BE KIND TO YOURSELF.
Notice how you speak to yourself. This is so god damn important!!
Rome was not built in a day. You are where you should be. But not where you need to end up! LET GO of comparing yourself to others. You are unique, no one else has lived your path.
This list is by no means exhaustive. I would love to hear what works for you in the comments below.