Self Care is a term I never ever heard growing up and yet one that’s now crucial in my weekly routine for me to stay sane. Some people have no idea what this term means and others have a slightly skeptical notion and think it’s about having a candle lit bath (which is absolutely one of my self care rituals indeed) and pampering yourself. Whilst this is totally part of self-care, there is also so much more to it, including all the benefits that comes with it. It’s super important that we implement Self Care into our lives and here is why…
What is Self Care?
So what is self-care, well I’m glad you’ve asked, because Self Care is a Tool to help you feel good and live a happy life. It’s looking after yourself in everyway, mentally, emotionally and physically. Practicing Self Care means you have an awareness of yourself and your needs and in turn honour and prioritise yourself.
In its basic form it’s taking a shower, brushing your teeth, feeding yourself etc. These are non-negotiable’s for taking care of yourself each day, right? We do these things because we know we have to in order to stay clean and survive, in fact they became a habit a long time ago because our guardians told us this was what we needed to do in life. As children we rely on those guardians and one of our fundamental needs is nurture. We need to be nurtured when we are younger to help us stay alive and grow. But as we get older and we no longer get this need met as much by our family, then it’s up to us to do it for ourselves.
We must nurture ourselves and take care of our emotional, mental and physical wellbeing by doing those things that make us FEEL (my favourite word) good, often.
Self Care starts with self-awareness, theeeeee main component in any self-development. It’s up to you to truly understand yourself and what you need to be happy, healthy and content in this life. That means knowing your personal limits and triggers. Knowing when to take yourself out of unhealthy situations that are not making you feel good or creating appropriate boundaries so you don’t end up lost, overwhelmed or unhappy. When you truly understand yourself you can then make sure your life is filled with more of the things that make you happy and in turn support you to show up as the best version of yourself, we only live once, so it’s up to us to make sure we’re loving the life we were given.
Why it’s important
Self Care is nourishment for our soul. Doing things that comfort, calm, or make you feel good is what life is about. No one wants to live their life drained, unhappy and disconnected from themselves. It’s very easy to get into a rut because of life’s hectic demands and trying to make those we love happy but it’s up to you to frequently check in with yourself so you understand when you need to restock, reconnect and refill your tank for YOU. It’s like running a car, you can’t run without fuel and Self Care is the fuel you need to keep yourself connected to who you are. Taking care of ourselves ensures we keep a strong sense of self! It brings back equilibrium and helps us stay present. Every so often we need to close down all those unnecessary tabs we have open in our mind and say ‘No’ to all the other people in our lives so we can fully show up for ourselves. We all need time out to just ‘be’ and enjoy being because this is what helps us really take in and experience the greatness of life.
What does it involve?
There is no right or wrong way to practice self care, because we are all wonderfully different and unique, which means what makes you feel good may not make another. So the first step to any self-care plan, is to begin by going inwards and asking yourself, what makes you feel grounded, calm and good. No one knows your more than you, so you know what you enjoy, why that is and the big one how it makes you feel. Once you identify this it’s just a case of putting more of that into your life, by prioritizing it and YOU.
What it’s not
Now I no some people can find the idea of self-care or saying no to others selfish, but let me tell you – You are not selfish for taking time to prioritize yourself and your happiness. Running around trying to make others happy when you are unhappy is absurd. If it’s not something you are used to it may feel a little uncomfortable putting yourself first, or if you have a real low sense of self worth then again you might find it difficult in the beginning to do things yourself, but that’s even more reason as to why it’s important. You deserve to feel good and do things for you, you’ve just lots touch and told yourself for too long that you don’t matter and YOU DO!
Self-Care is also NOT, doing what everyone else is doing or says you should do – All of us have different needs to each other, so find out what ticks your boxes, and what’s right for you. It’s not about comparisons or copying others ideas of what it is to them.
Forms of Self Care
So here are a few forms of my Self Care to give you an idea on what your could chose yours to be. Check them out and feel free to see if there is anything here that you think you might enjoy, but if not start figuring out your own actions and then get scheduling some self-care into your week lovely.
- Socialising with Friends
- Walking in the woods
- Having a massage
- Affirmations
- Going for breakfast/lunch on my own
- Candle lit bath
- Listening to piano music
- Turning my Phone off every so often to be present
- Eating good food
- Getting my hair/ nails done
- Dressing up in an outfit that makes me feel good
