On Sunday morning I eagerly waited for John to awaken. I had been outside with the dogs on our early morning cruise around the yard. Just the day before, we were looking at some trees we planted last year, and one had a small but solid trunk, about 2 inches round, and looked lifeless. We hoped that it would make it.
John walked into the living room, and I said, “Put on your shoes and come with me. It’s worth it. I promise!” He gingerly slid his feet into his shoes and followed me, along with our two dogs, out into the yard. He looked around, looked at the birds, and looked at the turtles and fish in the pond. I walked him closer to our Japanese Maple tree and there it was! “Oh, my goodness! We just looked at this tree yesterday and now it has buds! How exciting! This is great!”
It is important to pay attention to and appreciate life as it blooms and grows around you as well as within you!
Self-care has many different facets. It could be ensuring you get enough sleep every night or stepping outside for a few minutes for some fresh air. It can also mean taking the time to do the things that you enjoy doing.
Self-care is vital for building resilience toward those stressors in life that you cannot eliminate. When you have taken steps to care for your mind and body, you are better prepared to live your best life.
Unfortunately, however, many people view self-care as a luxury, rather than a priority. Consequently, they are left feeling overwhelmed, tired, and ill-equipped to manage life's inevitable challenges.
It is important to assess how you are caring for yourself in several different domains so you can ensure you are caring for your mind, body, and spirit.
Self-care is not just about finding ways to relax. It is about taking care of yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. To care for your health and well-being, it is important to find a balance that allows you to address each of these areas. Sometimes you might need more self-care in one specific area to restore balance or find relief from a particular stress in your life.
The seven pillars of self-care fall into the following areas: physical (sleep/fueling your body/taking charge of your health/exercise), social (face-to-face time with friends/nurture relationships with others), mental (engage in activities mentally stimulating to you/stay mentally healthy by practicing self-compassion and acceptance to help maintain a healthier inner dialogue), spiritual (engage in practices that develop a deeper sense of meaning, understanding, or connection with the universe/religion and spirituality), emotional (establish healthy ways to handle uncomfortable emotions/incorporate activities that help you recharge), recreational (hobbies/activities that interest you), and environmental (take care of the places around you and the places you love – your workspace, outdoor spaces/appeal to the five senses).
What kind of self-care routine is for you? There are many ways to begin a conscious self-care routine (unlike brushing your teeth or taking a shower). The first thing to do is acknowledge that what works for someone else may not be in alignment with you. Because of that, explore your options with an open mind and find a self-care routine that creates the ideal state of well-being for you.
Here are easy and proven suggestions for a self-care routine for your body, mind, and essence:
· Meditation
· Conscious breathwork (pranayama)
· Healthy food and drinks
· Exercise
· Yoga
· Relaxing bath
· Play a board game
· Swim or join an aqua aerobics class
· Massage
· Take an adventure
· Run, dance, and move your body
· Nap / Sleep
· Daily intentions
· Walk in nature
· Laugh
· Schedule your doctor appointments
· Spend time with people you love to be around
Having an effective self-care routine has been shown to have several important health benefits. Some of these include reducing anxiety and depression, reducing stress and improving resilience, improving happiness, increasing energy, reducing burnout, and stronger interpersonal relationships.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates self-care as a way to help promote health, prevent disease, and help people better cope with illness.
Specific forms of self-care have also been linked to different health and wellness benefits, including a longer life. Exercise, finding a sense of purpose in life, and sleep have all been connected to an increased lifespan.
Remember self-care is not a “one-size-fits-all” strategy. Customize your self-care plan to your needs and what is currently happening in your life. Do not wait until you are at a breaking point. The goal is to take steps each day to make sure that you are getting what you need to deal with the stress and challenges you face in your daily life and to live your BEST life!
Love & light,
Jeanne & John