Taking the time to find ways to nourish ourselves is crucial in being the best we can be. Choosing to take the time to learn what type of choices and habits will allow our bodies to reflect, rest, heal, restore, and reenergize are so important in living our best lives. Learning to recognize the signs when our bodies, mind, emotions, and souls need a break from daily life is crucial as we continue to create a life-giving life. The holidays can be exciting and wonderful and bring lots of extra tasks and activities that can frustrate us, stress us, and bring a lot of additional responsibilities and things to do.
What is self-care?
Self-care is choosing to take an active role in protecting your own well-being and happiness. By choosing to embrace life giving habits, you can bring what your body, mind, and soul so desperately needs to sustain the life you want. While the habits you choose may look a little different from someone else’s choices, we all need to pursue self-care.
What are some signs that my body, mind, and emotions may need self-care?
When our bodies become overwhelmed with the activities of daily living they may begin to react to the need for self-care. Some the symptoms may be feeling very tired, feeling that you have lost your energy or your way, not sleeping well, eating whatever is easy or things that you know are not good for you and feeling lethargic from not moving your body enough. You can also experience more physical pain, anxiety and feel depressed.
Mentally your brain may feel tired and not able to process information like you usually do. It may be hard to remember little details and you may feel like your brain is foggy or slow. It may take you longer to read and comprehend information. Meeting deadlines and doing normal daily tasks may take longer. Things that you know may become hard to retrieve from your memory. Simple metal tasks can become longer and more drawn out.
Emotionally you may feel like you are everywhere. One day you are upset about everything and then the next your feel detached from it all. You may have a harder time expressing yourself and being able to listen to what others have to say. You may struggle to find anything good about yourself or your current situation. You may not be yourself in relationships and either try to please everyone or isolate from them. You may allow your emotions to be dictating your decisions more than you should.
As you can see from these concerns that self-care is crucial to your well-being and so much more than just taking a little time for yourself! Embracing these habits do not need to cost a lot of money or take up a lot of time. Below are some ideas that might be helpful as you try to embrace self-care into your daily schedule:
Healthy Physical Self-Care Habits
Developing sleep habits including a peaceful way to prepare for sleep
Staying hydrated
Eating healthy snacks and limiting the excess sugar that the holiday can bring
Taking a walk – keep yourself moving
Getting out in the sunshine and fresh air
Choosing to use your favorite aromatherapy smells that relax you
Soaking in a long bath
Pampering yourself like using your favorite lotion, giving yourself a pedicure
Healthy Mental Self-Care Habits
Turning off the news and other shows that are not uplifting – it is important to know how the news and other show affect you
Choosing to move away from social media for a bit – sometimes we do not need to see only the best of everyone’s life
Reading a great fiction book and getting immersed in the story line
Talking with a close friend or counselor
Engaging in a relaxing hobby or doing a puzzle
Making special plans with a friend
Healthy Emotional Self-Care Habits
Spending time journaling your emotions and what may be triggering how you are feeling
Volunteering at your favorite charity
Meditation on positive affirmations
Keeping a gratitude journal with the things you are thankful for
Setting boundaries in relationships and situations where they are needed
Focusing on the positives in yourself and your life
Staying connected to family and friends who are life giving
We Are Here To Help
We hope that these suggestions will help you to find the habits that are life-giving for you and will encourage you to establish a priority of self-care if you do not already have one. If we can be of any help in working through the stresses of the holiday or if you need someone to listen, please give us a call. Our therapists would love to help in any way they can.