Recently, self-care has become a very popular concept and practice for many. The collective is beginning to notice how burdensome and draining our daily lives can be, and we’re making efforts to replenish ourselves. Between the media bombarding us with negative images and sound bites of: murder, poverty, war, hate, suicide, politics, etc and people trying to deal with their own issues and baggage, I think we could all use a break to recharge ourselves.

I find that keeping my vibrations high and staying focused on myself are essential to preserving my energy so that I can be my best, for myself and to share with others. I believe that self-preservation and self-care go hand in hand. When I take care of myself, I am better prepared and equipped to deal with the outside world. With a regular self-care routine, I have learned to react much more calmly and slowly during situations and now find it easier to calm myself when I am overwhelmed. You have to take care of yourself! Like one of my favs Rook would say, “You are your greatest assignment!” Oftentimes we make tasks in our lives, such as work, and other people more of a priority than we make ourselves. Self-care is a great way to check-in and check on the (entire) state of your health.

I’ve learned that my peaceful presence is a large part of what draws others to me. People often comment on and ask me, how I maintain a balanced demeanor, so let’s discuss…

What is self-care:

Self-care is any activity that you do to deliberately and mindfully to take care of your mental, emotional and physical well-being. I say, self-care is any activity that replenishes or refuels your spirit. Proper self-care leads to improved moods as well as decreased anxiety, and promotes a healthy relationship with yourself and others. I find that self-care and centering myself are very similar practices. Being able to focus inward and maintain healthy self-reflection is imperative to self-care. Self-reflection is a great way for you to know when you may need some time for yourself. Self-care should be a source of replenishment; taking care of yourself so that you can share yourself with others.

Let’s talk self-care on a practical level. How do I practice self-care or know when I should? I take time for myself when I feel unaligned or unbalanced in any way. Your intuition or spirit always knows, you just have to find that voice and listen to it. When I notice myself being agitated and impatient, I try to spend time with my nieces or nephew; spending time with children reminds me to be patient. If I notice that I’m being harsh to myself or engaging in a lot of negative self-care, I might pamper myself with a facial or a face mask. When I feel overstimulated, I’ll do something quiet like work on my puzzle. When I have had a long week of dealing with clients and people, I like to catch a matinee by myself. As an introvert, I find that being alone and in my own space is often what refuels me. After work, I often find myself rushing home. I don’t be having anything planned either, I just genuinely feel at peace when I am in my own space, alone. Find and create things that you race to do and genuinely enjoy, then consistently make time to do those.

Self-care is the key to maintaining a balanced life. . .

How to start your self-care routine:

What self-care is not:

Self-care should never be forced, or an activity you are not enamored with. Self-care is meant to refuel, not drain you or your energy. Using activities to distract or avoid from daily activities is also, not self-care. I can admit that I have not always practiced the best self care. Sometimes, life can get hectic and you get caught up, just trying to function. I can recall a time where I had gotten so consumed managing my responsibilities that I unconsciously began neglecting myself. I realized that I was not my best. If I was noticing that I was slacking, others were too. Although I had a lot on my plate, I realized I was also using my responsibilities to distract myself from dealing with things I was going through. At that point, I was was anxious, overwhelmed, avoidant and severely exhausted. I was of no use to myself or others. I realized my self-care routine was non-existent and that I immediately needed to take time for myself.

Also self-care is not a reinforcement system; that is when someone performs a desired task, they are rewarded with a desired item/task, or reinforcer. Reinforcers work great for behavior change, but not so much for rejuvination. Also, telling yourself that binge watching Netflix or eating extra dessert, when you know those activities do not further your goals, is not self-care beloved. That is procrastination and avoidance.

Comment below with your self-care routine or contact me if you need help creating yours!

Peace

3 Simple Steps to Self-Care