A lot of people these days talk about self-care, a kind of logic term and activity in itself to look after yourself, but not too easy to put into place once we look at emotional wellbeing.
What is self-care?
Self-care is anything that you do to take care of your emotional, mental or physical health and wellbeing. It sounds so simple but when you actually think about how much time a day you commit to feed yourself with things or activities that bring you joy, that interest you and let you be present – how much of this do you actively pursue to make it happen?
Ask yourself: In what ways do I take care of myself?
‘But I don’t have time for this’ I hear people say. Well you only have this one life - how can all this outer world stress be more important than to look after yourself? Are you a better person when you are stressed or when you are content and self-reflected?
This life you are in right now is about you being your best self. Sometimes we struggle, sometimes we are flying high. What will get us going is self-care.
We live in a society where being busy is the ultimate state- who is not busy is kind of not doing it right. Theoretically we all know that when you overuse something it will deteriorate. By merely functioning, we become like a machine.
How to incorporate wellbeing into your productive day?
Consistent self-care will not only make you a happier and calmer person, you will be able to reduce anxiety and stress as well as having more reflective relationships with others.
How can I find a way to improve self-care?
Self-care can mean something different to everyone and only you know what makes you sing, what makes you happy and feeds you well.
Do at least one activity a day that you truly enjoy!
When you enjoy something, you are likely to get into a state of flow with happy hormones flowing through your body, affecting not just you and your health but also others around you.
Take a few moments to contemplate, to reflect
Creating that space to respond to certain tasks rather than reacting is a good way for improving communication. You need to digest your mental load- just like you are digesting the food you are putting into your body. Everything that is on your mind needs to be processed, otherwise you get mind fog. Give it some time to reflect.
Establish a way to relax body and mind
The relaxation response is so beneficial for our physical and mental health as it counteracts the toxic effects of chronic stress. The body moves into a state of physiological relaxation, which will bring heart rate, blood pressure and hormonal levels to a normal level. Techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, Yoga or Qi Gong are really helpful to induce a relaxation response.
Here is a recorded under 10-minute breath focused meditation that you can try out to get a taster of the relaxation response!
And please, look after your sleep!
In the unresponsive state of sleep the body not only rests, it also regenerates and is needed for a lot of metabolic processes and your immune system to function well when you are awake. The effects of bad sleep are detrimental, for your attention, concentration, mood and physical health.
Ask yourself from time to time:
What can I treat myself with today, what do I really need to feel well?
What could you do today to feel more content?
I hope you do show up not only for others but for yourself by actively doing things you truly enjoy, that make you content- you will inspire others!
Shine on!
x Simone