We are the fixers, the schedulers, the CEOs of our domestic empires, the family nurses, the chauffeurs, the cooks, and any other title that keeps, not only our schedule on track, but everyone else’s around us as well. We are so busy making sure everyone’s needs are being taken care of that we often forget to take care of ourselves. It’s no wonder we feel drained, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Neglecting to care for our physical and mental needs is a recipe for anxiety, depression, anger, and health issues. Learning to take the time to care for our needs is the key to living a balanced life.
Finding a balance between family, work, and the myriad of other stressful things women deal with on a daily basis can sometimes leave us feeling as if we are living in a three-ring circus. The juggling act we perform becomes a dizzying feat as we try to keep everything in orbit, worrying that at any minute everything is going to come crashing down beside us.
The key to keeping sane and balanced is learning to recognize that there is a mind, body, and soul connection to it. This connection is critical in helping us to avoid the drudgery and burnout we face in trying to do it all and be it all. Practicing self-care is important to our overall wellbeing. Without it, our lives will be a constant battle between stress, exhaustion, and running on empty.
Self-care is loving yourself and making your needs a priority. It means being consciously aware of your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual actions. Learning to balance and adjust our responses to the chaos in our world is an art that doesn’t always come naturally. However, the more you do to nurture your mind, body, soul connection, the easier it becomes.
The important thing to remember is that self-care and loving yourself is not selfish, so rid yourself of any guilt you have about taking time to devote to destressing and building yourself up. Even if you only have 5 minutes a day to devote to your wellbeing, it will make a big difference in helping to strengthen the mind, body, soul connection.
The art of loving yourself and practicing self-care should be a long-term sustainable goal. Although there are times that grabbing a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and curling up on the couch to binge on Netflix for hours is tempting, and sometimes necessary for your mental health, this type of self-care is temporary. What you want to strive for is creating consistent self-care routines to keep you better able to bounce back. Focusing on the positive, healthy things you can do each day will lead to long-term mental, physical, and spiritual growth.
5 Truths About Self-Care
1. Self-Care Is Not Selfish
If you don’t take care of your needs, both physically and emotionally, you won’t be able to give your full attention to the important things in life.
2. Self-Care Needs To Be A Part of Your Routine
Caring for your emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing needs to become a part of your daily routine. Set a reminder on your phone or schedule a time to take 5 minutes out of each day to do something that will allow you to consciously be aware of what your soul is trying to tell you. Practice just sitting for 5 minutes in silence, get into the habit of reading an inspirational verse or quote, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea before the rest of the world wakes up. What ever you do, learn to observe your feelings and process what is reality and what is imagined anxiety.
3. Self-Care Doesn’t Make Our Problems Go Away
It does, however, help us to deal with situations that are not pleasant because self-care strengthens our mind, body, soul connections. When we face difficult periods of our life, self-care allows us to return to a normal balanced state quicker because we have learned how to recognize certain patterns of emotions. We learn that difficult situations will pass, and we become more adept to deal with and adjust to the changes that take place in our lives.
4. Self-Care Is About Setting Boundaries
It is not selfish to set boundaries when it comes to creating a more peaceful life. Learn to say no to things that create anxiety and to people who are toxic. Create boundaries with your time. If your schedule is already full, don’t add to it. Make sure that you let others know what kind of treatment you will allow from them. Without boundaries, you’ll most likely end up being taken advantage of, or fall into the trap of doing things that are not healthy for you.
5. Self-Care Is About Connecting With Your 3 Elements
It’s about feeding your mind, body, and soul with healthy positive things.
Mind Connection:
- Learn to be mindful and present.
- Practice gratefulness. The more you are grateful for what you have, the more positive your outlook becomes.
- Shut out the negative chatter. Surround yourself with positive music, books, TedTalks, inspirational quotes. Learn to listen to the voice that says you can do it, and stop listening to the voices and people who are doubting you.
- Find a peaceful, safe, and happy place where you can take a mental time out.
- Spend quality time with family, loved ones, and friends. Being social helps you stay connected with others and promotes a sense of belonging.
- Practice deep breathing and other cognitive behavioral techniques that promote calmness.
- Write in a journal
- Get professional counseling
Body Connection:
- Focus on taking care of your body. Feed it healthy nutritious foods, and purge your pantry and refrigerator of foods that don’t support a healthy diet.
- Go for a walk or run, do yoga, or any other activity that gets your body moving. Exercise creates endorphins that promote positive results.
- Get an annual physical exam.
- Rest when your body is telling you to.
- Get more sleep .
Spiritual Connection:
- Find your spiritual balance (God, the universe, a higher power). People who have a strong spiritual belief system tend to handle stress better. The connection to something greater than yourself helps to put life into perspective.
- Meditate or pray.
- Practice visualization techniques.
- Connect with things that are non-material.
- Practice kindness.
By incorporating these self-care methods and ideas into your life, you will create more vitality, creativity, patience, and be better able to handle the daily stress of trying to cope with the chaos of the world.
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