What It Means to Practice Self-Care
As women, we may find ourselves giving often to our family, friends, colleagues, or kids, but may not realize how much we give until we find ourselves depleted and drained. Many times, we have this realization after we’ve had a meltdown. 🙂 If you’re anything like me in the past, this can leave you neglecting yourself while feeling obligated to continue doing doing doing. The result can end up being catastrophic to our health and well being. That is why it is super important to practice self-care and make it a routine. You may have heard the phrase “you can’t pour from an empty cup”? The meaning of this is so important. If we cannot fill ourselves up to feel whole, we will not have anything left to give to others. As women, this may seem counter-intuitive but I can tell you from experience, it’s not, so don’t fall into the guilt trap.
Self–care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health.
To practice self-care means to truly make and take the time to feel whole again, in any that resonates with you.
What Self-Care is Not
Knowing what self-care is great, but understanding what it is not, might be even more important. It is not something that we force ourselves to do, or something we don’t enjoy doing. It’s not something that we should invoke guilt or feel bad about. It is not kind of doing something for ourselves and someone else at the same time, and it sure as heck is not selfish.
Practicing self-care is like giving yourself ‘maintenance’ for your soul. What is it that will warm your heart, make you feel loved, happy, and refuel your soul? This can take on many forms depending on what you are needing at any point in time. Self-care one time might mean bubble baths, spa days and hair. Another time, it may mean a swim, a hike, meditation or a weekend get-away with girlfriends. Whatever it looks like, it must refuel your soul.
The biggest most important thing to remember, is allowing yourself the time and energy to create a feeling of appreciation and balance in your daily life.
Self-Care Tips
When practicing self-care, be sure to practice in all areas: emotional, spiritual, physical, intellectual, social – each area of self-care can help you feel whole.
- Emotional self-care: Allowing your emotions to surface, feel them, let them go, heal them
- Spiritual self-care: Allowing your soul to feel nurtured through prayer, affirmation, gratitude, peace
- Physical self-care: Allowing your body to receive nourishment through healthy foods, massage, facial, exercise,
- Intellectual self-care: Allowing your mind to expand through learning new information, travel to experience culture, connecting to knowledge through books or articles
- Social self-care: Connecting with others or your ‘self’ that allows you to feel loved, happy, joyous and free.
What do you do for self-care? I’d love to hear for ideas!
