Between managing our careers, social lives, sleep schedules, eating habits, families, finances, and hobbies, it can feel almost impossible to make time for a self-care routine. We have priorities that we have to focus on before we can make the time to take care of ourselves. Unfortunately, this is the most commonly used excuse in the book, and we need to stop using it. It is time for us to realize that when we don’t take care of ourselves we make our bodies sick. Stress causes inflammation in the body, and inflammation is the root to all disease.
Self-care should be on your list of priorities. In fact, it should be towards the top of your list. When we adapt a proper self-care routine into our everyday lives, we are harnessing a power over ourselves to be the best we can be for our families, our jobs, and ourselves. Self-care is a way of living. It is a routine that becomes a part of who we are. Listed below are five ways you can implement a strong self-care routine into your every day life.
1. Self-Care Means Allowing Yourself to Feel
Part of taking care of yourself means allowing your body to feel the emotions it needs to feel. Emotions are a complicated, but normal process in human nature. We are meant to be emotional beings, and by avoiding these emotions we send our bodies into a state of imbalance and insecurity. Imbalance is reflected in our hormones, organs and glands. We cannot recover from painful events if we do not deal with the pain it has caused us, emotionally. This is the case in relationships, friendships, deaths, losses etc. This does not mean we should hold onto grudges or not forgive those who have hurt us, but instead, it means that we should accept the emotions associated with our circumstances, and deal with it in a healthy, productive way.
Do’s – Talk to people you trust about your thoughts and feelings, or write them down in a journal
Don’ts – Eat sugary, fatty (comfort foods) to deal with the pain, starve yourself, avoid talking or acknowledging the pain
2. Self-Care Means Accepting Your Obstacles
Accepting our challenges in life is not the same thing as accepting defeat. We are given road blocks to teach us lessons. Yes, our ailments are a gift. For those of us with a chronic illness of any kind, it may seem quite paradoxical, but your illness is actually a blessing. Our health encourages us to come back to ourselves when we have become too distant. Our bodies are constantly sending us messages, and when we ignore these messages for too long, we become ill. Part of self-care means accepting that this is your purpose, and that a journey within can help us to heal these ailments. Each and everyone of us is given the tools to carry on. Courage, strength and will-power is all within you.
Do’s – research, learn about your conditions, read success stories, pray, try to speak about your problems in a positive way, provide a healthy environment for your body to heal
Don’ts – blame others for your pain, blame yourself for your pain
3. Self-Care Means Striving to be the Best Version of Ourselves
This is key to practicing self-care. We should not be striving for perfection, but rather to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. Each and every day is a new opportunity to be your very best. Some days, your very best may be sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee and a good book, and that is okay. We are human beings and we get tired. The truth is, as much as life is really short, it can also feel really long at times. Tough days call for relaxation and rejuvenation, you can be productive tomorrow.
Do’s – make time for yourself every day, appreciate what you can do, learn to rest, not to quit
Don’ts- be hard on yourself, punish yourself for not doing enough, push yourself too hard to get things done
4. Self-Care Means Making Healthy Choices
Taking care of ourselves means making healthy choices every day. Eating with intent, instead of out of habit is the part of self-care that we often forget about. Eating whole foods that come from the earth and treating ourselves to organically made treats is a form of self-respect. Stop chasing down fat-free, sugar-free labels, and start focusing on foods without labels at all. When we eat with intent, we don’t need to count calories, or measure serving sizes. You will notice you start to crave healthy, hearty foods instead of chemically made, food-like products. Cupcakes become much less enticing when our bodies adapt to a natural way of eating. Treat yourself, but keep in mind that food either feeds disease, or fights it.
Do’s – find healthy, yummy foods you can snack on, prepare foods on Sundays so it is easy and convenient to grab a quick snack, respect your body's need for nutrients
Don’ts – use food as a way of dealing with pain, punish yourself for eating too much
5. Self-Care Means Taking Control of Your Life
Self-care is not just a glass of lemon water in the morning, or a bath on a Sunday evening. Self-care is a commitment to dedicating wholesome practice into your everyday routine. Self-care allows you to harness that power back into your life. It means you are in control of your situation. Self-care means promising yourself that you are going to take extra care of your soul from this day forward.
Do’s – practice self-care every day in whatever way you can, talk positively about your body and soul
Don’ts – neglect your self-care routine, feel selfish for taking time for yourself
Self-care starts with you deciding that you love your body enough to want to take care of it for the rest of your life. When we live a life focused on self-care we become healthy on the inside and out. Having a strong self-care routine helps us to mould our bodies into powerful, worthy beings who will do whatever it takes to heal. You owe yourself the time and care that you so willingly give to those around you.
Thank you for reading. Everything that has happened in your life has led you to this moment.
Victoria
The Butterfly Effect
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