How to Practice Self-Care
Discovering the importance of taking care of yourself from the inside-out
Hello, Explorers!
During this year, more so than others before, I have truly begun to understand the importance of leading a life full of intention, being present while in the moment, living in a state of minimalism, and practicing daily self-care.
Overwhelm
There are so many moments in our lives when we are plagued with constant stress and anxiety. It seems as if several moments like these come up during our week. As the world becomes more digital, we also tend to close up into our wallowing of despair and uneasiness. Things can get so bad that you break down and cry to allow a sense of relief from your tears, which in fact can be therapeutic. However, once we evaluate our thoughts, what steps should we take to nourish our mental, physical, and spiritual selves?
The average person may think that self-care means getting mani-pedis, going to the hair salon, treating yourself to a fancy dinner, splurging on luxurious items, taking an exotic trip, or to put it simply; spending money on yourself. There is no right or wrong formula for taking care of yourself. This is all about bringing joy to your life in whichever way it pleases you. However, the version of self-care that most people indulge in usually only provides temporary relief. How can we treat ourselves extravagantly, while digging deeper into nourishing our mind, body, and spirit?
Recognition & Evaluation
The first step in initializing self-care is to recognize and evaluate your feelings and emotions. Figure out the origin of your anger, frustration, and sadness. Discover the reason why you have been feeling impatient the whole day. Take some time to thoroughly think about the reason why you are feeling or acting a certain way.
For some people, this is the most difficult step of self-care. The average person skips straight over into indulgence while forgetting to address the underlying problem in the first place.
Here are some questions to help you with this process:
What are my most important values and how am I living in ways that are not aligned with my values?
What are my most important needs and desires? Does my present life fulfill them?
What is my life’s purpose?
How do I feel about my personality type? Is there something I want to change about it?
What are my boundaries?
Do I feel supported by my family or friends? Who supports me or who doesn't?
Do I surround myself with mostly positive or mostly negative people?
What toxic relationships exist in my life currently?
What's one thing I would like to do more of and why? How can I make that happen?
How do I feel about the pace of my life? Is it too fast, too slow, or just about right?
How do I feel about my last mistake and what did I learn from it?
Am I holding onto something that would be better to let go of?
Do I have unfinished business with someone? What inner work needs to be done to heal this?
How am I censoring what I think or feel?
What holds me back from being more genuine and authentic?
What would I like to stop worrying about? How can I let go of the worry?
How do I move past unpleasant thoughts or experiences?
What's keeping me awake at night?
What drains my energy? How can I remove it from my life or protect myself from its negative effect?
How much personal time do I need each week to feel happy?
Depending on how you process information, personally, I enjoy the process of journaling. It is so helpful to write down a few of these questions and answer them as honestly as you possibly can. Nobody can judge you on your inner thoughts, you are free to wander inside your mind.
Be Present
Once you have gone through some questions that pertain to your situation, I suggest getting into a comfortable position to reflect on your answers. Some people choose to walk around in a park, practice yoga, or lie down. Limit your technology use during this time as it could be a major potential distraction. It is important to disconnect with the outside world to be able to connect with your inner self. As the second step, reflection can help in the positive progress of gratitude, mindfulness, and awareness.
Becoming present with your thoughts through a meditative or calm state can aid in the clarification of what type of self-care strategy or plan you will be choosing for yourself. This is the time when inspiration & motivation come into play. The sounds of non-lyrical, soothing music in the background always helps in calming my mind and focus my attention on myself.
Types Of Self-Care
Physical self-care
Activities that help you to stay fit and healthy, and with enough energy to get through your work and personal commitments.
Develop a regular sleep routine.
Aim for a healthy diet.
Try a new and exciting recipe.
Indulge in your favorite treat.
Go to a salon.
Take lunch breaks.
Go for a walk.
Play a team sport.
Take your dog for a walk after work.
Hydrate with fruit-infused water.
Use your sick leave.
Start a habit tracker to log your progress.
Get some exercise before/after work at least twice a week.
Mental & emotional self-care
Allowing yourself to safely experience your full range of emotions without judgment or criticism. Activities that help you to engage with the emotional challenges that are found in your work and personal life.
Meet with a life group.
Prioritize relationships.
Step out of your comfort zone.
Engage in the arts.
Take up a new hobby.
Read a new book.
Keep a reflective journal.
Turn off your email and work phone outside of work hours.
Make time for relaxation.
Plan a date with yourself.
Make time to engage with encouraging, optimistic, and positive friends and family.
Develop supportive friendships.
Write three good things that you did each day.
Go to the movies or do something else you enjoy.
Spiritual self-care
Practice existentialism. This involves having a sense of perspective beyond the day-to-day of life.
Engage in reflective practices like meditation.
Go on nature walks.
Attend a church/mosque/temple.
Do yoga.
Start a daily gratitude log.
Light candles.
Begin your day with a daily devotional.
Burn incense or essential oils.
Surround yourself with crystals.
Become in sync with your senses.
Pray and worship.
Practice Sabbath rest on Sundays.
Do a good deed.
Long-term self-care
As someone who has spent most of my time caring for others, I often show signs of being codependent. In the past, I have sacrificed my needs for the sake of others. My self-worth was previously measured by the way people perceived me. My words would be censored and filtered in my mind before I would allow myself to speak. As you can imagine, the idea of putting myself, and my needs first was an incredibly foreign concept. I felt I was being selfish by doing so.
My husband often says that with every new year comes a set of “buzzwords”. Phrases that are often discussed in casual conversation. It just so happens that self-care has become such a relevant one, for us millennials. This practice has been on the rise and is quickly becoming a routine for most people. Although older generations did not have the luxury of practicing care for themselves, I am so glad that I, and many others like myself, have found this long-lasting piece of joy that can be brought into our lives.
Practicing self-care, as my husband and I have discovered, has become essential to our lives. We both experience high levels of stress and anxiety that are extremely different from one another. We handle every situation with contrasting emotions, and process information in divergent ways. Something we work hard on is to be aware of how each other is feeling. If one of us is particularly sad or anxious, the other will try their best to be the one to do the cheering up. Constant encouragement to take care of ourselves and each other is so much appreciated during stressful times. With self-care, we can give the attention we so deserve. Once our body, mind, and spirit are nourished; we can be better partners, friends, family members, co-workers, and human beings to others.
Goodbye, Explorers!